EUPHORBIA HIRTA LINN – AN INVASIVE PLANT: A REVIEW OF ITS TRADITIONAL USES, PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Euphorbia hirta Linn. (Euphorbiaceae), commonly known as ‘Dudhy’ is an annual medicinal herb of Kumaun Himalaya Uttarakhand. It is an invasive plant used in conventional medicine to treat various diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory system disorders, and asthma. The present review is designed to compile updated information on E. hirta, including its medicinal uses, phytochemicals, as well as biological activities. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical studies on E. hirta revealed the presence of various chemical compounds in which flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenols are the major constituents. These monomeric compounds and crude extracts from E. hirta have also been screened for pharmacological activities in-vivo and in-vitro. Different parts of the plant have interesting antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antitumor properties. Some traditional uses of this plant, such as in gastrointestinal disorders, bronchitis, and asthma, also indicated its high medicinal potentiality. E. hirta has been proved a valuable medicinal plant for the tribal people living in the rural region of Kumaun Himalaya. The crude hydroalcoholic extract of E. hirta has more pharmacological activities. It is used as an important medicinal and nutritional source for curing many severe illnesses in different parts of the world. Therefore, it is the need of modern time to isolate and identify more bioactive constituents and elucidate their structure, activity, and relationship of this plant. It is also emphasized for more detailed research and clinical trials to explore its pharmacological activity and clinical efficacy.