Herbal medicines are the earliest treatments that humanity is aware of. India is renowned around the world for its Ayurvedic medicine. Traditional uses of Euphorbia hirta include the treatment of tumors, diarrhea, jaundice, acne, gonorrhea, gastrointestinal issues, and respiratory illnesses (cough, coryza, bronchitis, and asthma). Alkanes, triterpenes, phytosterols, tannins, polyphenols, and flavanoids are said to be present. The therapeutic benefits, chemical make-up, and other significant features of Euphorbia hirta are discussed in this review.
How is Euphorbia used?
An herb is euphorbia. Medicine is made from the portions of the plant that are grown above ground.
Breathing diseases like asthma, bronchitis, and chest congestion are treated with euphorbia. It is also used to treat tumors, hay fever, throat spasms, and nasal and throat mucus. Some take it to make themselves throw up.
It is additionally employed in India to treat worms, dysentery, gonorrhea, and digestive issues.
Aerva lanta Linn (Amaranthaceae)
Aerva lanta (A. lanta) is a common wayside plant that is upright or prostrate and has white axillary bunches of tiny fuzzy flowers. In the warmer regions of India, it is in great abundance on the plains. In the isolated goat tracheal chain preparation paradigm and in mice with clonidine-induced catalepsy and mast cell degranulation, ethanol extract of aerial portions of A. lanata at doses of 30 and 60 mg/kg orally exhibits antiasthmatic activity[12].
Ageratum conyzoides L.
Ageratum conyzoides, also known as A. conyzoides, is an upright, herbaceous annual plant that is native to tropical America but has a distribution range throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. By preventing the catalepsy that clonidine-induced in mice, a hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of A. conyzoides at dosages of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg exhibits antihistaminic activity[13].
Argemone mexicana
In India, Argemone mexicana (A. mexicana) is widespread in fields and roadside. It has antiallergic and antistress properties when administered as an aqueous extract of A. mexicana stem at a dose of 50 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.)[14].
Cassia sophera (caesalpiniaceae)
Traditional uses of Cassia sophera (C. sophera) include the treatment of bronchitis and asthma. At doses of 250, 500, and 750 mg/kg, the chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol fractions isolated from the ethanol extract of C. sophera leaves exhibit significant antiasthmatic activity in animal models of carrageenan-induced paw edema, histamine-induced bronchoconstriction, clonidine and haloperidol-induced catalepsy, milk-induced leukocytosis, and
Casuarina equisetifolia Linn (Casuarinaceae)
Evergreen Casuarina equisetifolia (C. equisetifolia) trees are grown throughout coastal regions from Gujarat to Orissa, in some areas of West Bengal, and in the Andaman Islands. They often reach heights of up to 50 meters. The trachea’s constriction brought on by histamine (10–80 mcg/mL), catalepsy brought on by clonidine, and mast cell degranulation at doses of 100 mg/kg are all inhibited by the methanol extract of wood and bark extracts [18].
Clerodendrum Serratum Linn (Verbenaceae)
In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, Clerodendrum Serratum (C. serratum), also known as bharangi, is used to treat pain, inflammation, rheumatism, respiratory illnesses, and malarial fever. With isolated goat tracheal chains, clonidine-induced catalepsy, and milk-induced leucocytosis and eosinophilia in mice at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, ethanol extract of C. serratum roots shown antiasthmatic activity[19].
Crinum glaucum (Amaryllidaceae)
South West Nigeria’s Yoruba people are fond of Crinum glaucum (C. glaucum). Practitioners of traditional medicine said that it was a successful treatment for cough, asthma, and convulsions. At doses of 100–400 mg/kg, the aqueous extract of C. glaucum has antiallergic effect by reducing the region of dye leakage in passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction, shielding mast cell degranulation, and preventing histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in the guinea pig[21].
Curculigo orchioides Gaertn (Amaryllidaceae)
A little herbal plant known as Curculigo orchioides (C. orchioides) is found in abundance in India, China, Malaya, and Japan. Alcoholic extract of C. orchioides rhizomes exhibits antihistaminic and mast cell stabilizing action on Compound 48/80-induced systemic anaphylaxis and mast cell degranulation[22]. Additionally, it prevented the histamine-induced contraction of the goat trachea, guinea pig ileum, and bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs. It also prevented the rat passive paw anaphylaxis caused by egg albumin, the mouse catalepsy caused by clonidine, and the leucocytosis and eosinophilia caused by milk.
Eclipta alba Linn (Asteraceae)
At doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg on compound 48/80-induced degranulation of mast cells, egg albumin-induced passive cutaneous and paw anaphylaxis, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) study on gunea pig trachea, and histamine determination, the 50% ethanol extract exhibits antianaphylactic and antihistaminic activity[24].
Euphorbia hirta (Euphorbiaceae)
Euphorbia hirta, a herbaceous wild plant that grows in India’s hotter regions, is sometimes referred to as asthma weed. At dosages (100-1000 mg/kg), an ethanol extract of the entire aerial section of the plant exhibits antihistaminic and antiallergic efficacy by preventing mast cell degranulation and suppressing passive cutaneous and paw anaphylactic reactions[25].
Ficus bengalensis Linn (Moraceae)
The enormous Ficus bengalensis (F. bengalensis) tree grows to a height of around 30 m and spreads out many aerial roots from its branches. When given to mice at a dose of 50 mg/kg of clonidine, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and aqueous extracts of the bark of F. bengalensis exhibit antihistaminic efficacy by decreasing the catalepsy that drug causes. These effects could be a result of flavonoids[26],[27].
Gakani
Gakani is a polyherbal medication that includes Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr, Securidaca iongipedunculata Tresen, Piper guineense schum Thonn, Gramineae Olax subscorpioidea Oliv., and Gramineae Gramineae Olax subscorpioidea Oliv (Myrtaceae). Gakani, a well-known herbal remedy, was tested for its ability to treat asthma using rat stomach strips, guinea pig ileum preparations, and egg albumin-induced paw edema. According to the results, the extract prevented histamine and isoprenaline from having an effect on the guinea pig tracheal chain. It demonstrates how histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine decrease the contraction of an isolated guinea pig ileum and a rat stomach strip (5-HT). Rats exposed to the extract showed good anti-inflammatory effects[28].
Amburana cearensis (Fabaceae)
The Brazilian Northeastern “caatinga” (savannah) is home to the medicinal plant Amburana cearensis (A. cearensis), which is widely used to treat respiratory tract conditions including asthma. The guinea pig trachea’s KCl-induced contraction was significantly relaxed by the flavonoid isokaempferide that was isolated from the trunk barks of A. cearensis[30].
Lepidium sativum Linn (Cruciferae)
It is a glabrous, annual herb commonly referred to as “Asaliyo” that is grown as a salad plant all over India. Histamine and acetylcholine-induced bronchospasm is inhibited by the ethanol extract and its fractions of ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and methanol[32].
Mentha spicata L
By suppressing antigen-stimulated rat basophile, the four novel flavonoids and three novel glycosides from M. spicata leaves exhibit antihistaminic activity[33].
Momordica dioica
Momordica dioica is a creeping plant that climbs. Its fruits and leaves are traditionally used as a treatment for bronchitis, fever, tridosha, leprosy, and asthma. By preventing the 50 mg/kg clonidine-induced catalepsy in mice, methanol and an aqueous pulp extract exhibit antihistaminic effect, which may be attributed to polar constituents[34].
Mucuna pruriens
At doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, the L-DOPA extracted from the methanol extract of the seed has antihistaminic action by reducing clonidine-induced catalepsy and mast cell degranulation in mice[35].
Nyctanthes arbortristis
It has a long history of usage in the management of asthma. At a dose of 50 mg/kg, the petroleum ether extract inhibits the catalepsy that clonidine causes in mice, demonstrating antihistaminic activity[38].
Olea europea (Oleaceae)
It is a little evergreen tree that grows to a height of 12 to 20 feet, has aged, inflexible limbs, and a grey bark. By preventing histamine-induced contraction of the goat trachea and the guinea pig ileum at concentrations of 100 g/mL and 4 and 8 mg/kg/kg/kg, respectively, as well as catalepsy in mice, aqueous extract of ripe olives exhibits antiasthmatic activity[39].
Piper betel Linn
Traditionally, piper betel has been used to treat rheumatism, asthma, pruritis, cough, and colds. When histamine causes bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs, as well as histamine-induced contraction of the guinea pig tracheal chain that is dose dependent as well as isolated guinea pig ileum preparation, ethanol and an aqueous extract of the leaves at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg have antiasthmatic activity[41].
Striga orobanchioides Benth (Scrophulariaceae)
A parasitic plant called Striga orobanchioides inhabits the roots of several plants. The guinea-pig ileum’s histamine-induced contractions are inhibited by ethanol and aqueous extracts of the whole plant at concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 25 g/mL in a dose-related manner, and mast cell degranulation is inhibited at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg[42][49].
Sphaeranthus indicus Kurz (Asteraceae)
A significant plant used in folk medicine is called Sphaeranthus indicus. In comparison to the common medication ketotifen, the ethanol extract at doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg and its ethyl acetate extract at doses of 100, 150, and 300 mg/kg demonstrated marginally superior protection against sheep serum and Compound 48/80-induced mast cell degranulation[50].
Cynodon dactylon (Poaceae)
One of the perennial grasses most frequently seen in India is Cynodon dactylon, also known as dhub. The whole plant extracts in petroleum ether, chloroform, and methanol as well as fractions isolated from chloroform extract have antianaphylactic activity, but fractions isolated have more potent activity at doses of 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg when used to induce mast cell degranulation, measure the level of nitric acid in the blood, and induce anaphylaxis using compound 48/80[51].
Which plant is beneficial for asthma?
Here are five indoor plants that are good for people with asthma.
- Calm Lily. The Peace Lily is a lovely evergreen plant that is fantastic for those with bad green fingers because it is hard to kill!
- Viper Plant.
- Ivy in English.
- Palm Bamboo.
- Acacia palm
How is tea made from Euphorbia hirta made?
100 grams of the fresh, whole plant (including roots) are cleaned and cooked in 500 ml of water for 15 minutes to make tawa-tawa tea. The decoction is given to the patient after chilling and paper-filtration, one glass per hour, till the fever breaks.
Is the asthma plant toxic?
The sap contains a latex that, when consumed, is poisonous and, when exposed to light, causes photosensitive skin reactions and severe inflammation. Even with dried plant material, the toxicity can still be very severe.
How toxic is Euphorbia hirta?
We examined the effects of E. hirta’s acute toxicity on behavior, organ body weight index, and the histology of the liver, spleen, lung, heart, and kidney in mice and A. salina in the current study. It has been stated that the brine shrimp (A. salina) cytotoxicity assay is an effective, affordable, and reasonably quick approach to detect harmful chemicals, requiring just small amounts of material, i.e., 20 mg. [13,16] The number of chemicals that can be evaluated is greatly constrained by the tedious process of using higher animals to calculate mortality. [17] The brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay is widely regarded as an easy approach for determining early levels of toxicity. It has been used to test dental materials for cytotoxicity and to detect heavy metals, cyanobacteria toxins, pesticides, food additives, plant extracts, and fungus toxins. [22,23]
The term “adverse change(s) occurring immediately or a short time following a single or short period of exposure to a substance or substances” or “adverse effects occurring within a short time of administration of a single dose of a substance or multiple doses given within 24 h” is commonly used to describe acute toxicity. And an adverse effect is any circumstance that results in a functional impairment and/or biochemical lesions that may have an impact on an animal’s performance as a whole or that reduce an organ’s capacity to respond to new challenges. [21] As a result, a substance is considered to be orally and acutely poisonous if it enters the body through the mouth for a brief period of time and has any negative effects with little to no delay. According to some claims, an acute toxicity test can reveal more details about the biologic characteristics of a chemical molecule than any other test when carried out correctly and constantly monitored. [28]
Twelve Swiss albino mice of both sexes were used in this investigation of acute oral toxicity to examine the effects of the methanol crude extract of E. hirta leaves on toxicity. For regulatory objectives, both sexes were utilized. According to studies, mice are a better predictor of a human acute fatal dose than rats, hence mice were chosen in this study. [14] To prevent food and other compounds in the mice’s digestive tracts from influencing the reaction(s) of the extract ingredients, the mice were fasted before receiving the dose of crude extract, which was given orally. When researching acute toxicity, the oral route of administration is typically the most practical and popular. It is less expensive and causes the animal no pain. [14] Therefore, there is no need to administer anesthetic during the extract. On the other hand, the test animals received treatment in a manner similar to that of traditional healers. As a result, any findings in mice would be simple to extrapolate to what may be anticipated in humans. Every procedure was carried out in accordance with the relevant OECD recommendation. [12]
E. hirta has a lengthy history of folkloristic use in practically every region of the world to treat a variety of illnesses. The decoction of flowering and fruiting plants is used to treat respiratory tract infections, asthma, chronic bronchitis, cough, pulmonary problems, and to get rid of worms in the gut in addition to other conditions. To stimulate lactation, nursing moms are prescribed a leaf infusion. [29] E. hirta is thought to be nontoxic because it is widely known that it is used to treat a number of human ailments and because there have been no prior reports of any adverse effects of the plant. Therefore, a very high dosage level of 5000 mg/kg of crude extract was given to the examined mice in this limit dose oral acute toxicity test. [12]
In this investigation, the treated mice showed a one-third mortality rate. Males responded to the extract more strongly. The fact that this study only revealed less than 50% of deaths suggests that the LD50 is higher than 5000 mg/kg. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s recommendations for chemical labeling and classification of acute systemic toxicity based on oral LD50 values: [12] Very toxic ( 5 mg/kg body weight), toxic (> 5 50 mg/kg), harmful (> 50 500 mg/kg), and unlabeled (> 500 2000 mg/kg) are the four levels of toxicity. E. hirta methanol leaves extract has a low LD50 of more than 5000 mg/kg, which indicates that it is safe. However, the deadly impact discovered in this test suggested that the methanol crude extract of E. hirta, when administered orally at 5g/kg body weight, showed low toxicity. However, given that we used a very high dose of the crude extract—300 g crude extract/60 kg body weight, or, to put it another way, a plateful of the extract—which is much higher than what is typically advised to treat specific ailments—the current study’s findings are consistent with the widespread use of this plant as traditional medicine. In contrast, prior research found that the antispasmodic component of the plant’s aqueous extract was hazardous to mice but not the alcoholic extract. [29] This suggests that the toxicity of plants may be caused by some harmful ingredient that can only be removed in water. As a result, methanolic extract is found to be more active and less hazardous than water extract when compared to earlier investigations.
The liver, kidneys, lungs, spleen, and heart absolute (g) and relative weights (percent) between the treated and control groups remained normal, demonstrating that the plant extract was nontoxic in these crucial organs. An essential marker of physiologic and pathological conditions in both humans and animals is organ weight. The relative organ weight is crucial for determining whether or not the organ was damaged. [32] The principal organs impacted by the metabolic reactions brought on by toxicants are the heart, liver, kidney, spleen, and lungs. [33] For recognized nephrotoxicants, the absolute organ weight has also been demonstrated to be a relatively sensitive index of nephrotoxicity. Increased kidney weight, either relative or absolute, is a sign of nephrotoxicity. [34] According to this indicator, the kidneys and other organs were not adversely affected by the methanol leaf extract of E. hirta since their absolute and relative weights did not differ substantially from control values.
Since many members of the spurge family, which these plants are a part of, are dangerous to both humans and animals, the low LC50 values discovered from the roots and flowers of the E. hirta plant against A. salina may support this argument. Toxic chemicals found in these plant sections are thought to be the cause of this hazardous quality. Because of this, care must be taken when using this plant, and more research is required to identify and characterize the hazardous chemicals. On the other hand, it has already been demonstrated that the A. salina bioassay is a reliable measure of anticancer activity. The plant extract is said to have a wide range of bioactive chemicals and could contain molecules with cytotoxic effects. Therefore, it is advised that extracts poisonous to A. salina be evaluated for toxicity against human tumor cell lines.