Download complete project materials on Phytochemical Screening And Elemental Analysis Of Euphorbia Tithymaloides
CHAPTER ONE
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants commonly called Spurge in the spurge family (Euphorbiceae). Euphorbiia is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiceae (in defence to the type genus) (Carter, 2002). Some Euphorbias are commercially widely available such as Point settings at Christmas. Some are commonly cultivated as ornamentals or collected and highly valued for the aesthetic appearance of their unique floral structures such as the crown of thorns plants.
Euphorbias from the deserts of Southern Africa and Madagascar have evolved physical characteristics and forms similar to cacti of North and South America, so they are often incorrectly referred to as Cacti (David, 2006). Some are used as ornamentals in landscaping, because of the beautiful or striking overall forms and drought and heat tolerance (Adamson, 2011). Euphorbias range from tiny annual plants to large and long-lived trees (Geoff, 2011).
The genus have over or about 2000 members (Eke, Al-Husainu & Raynor, 2000) making it one of the largest general of flowering plants. It also has one of the largest ranges of chromosome courts (Steinmann & Porter, 2002). The plants share the feature of having a poisonous, milky, white latex-like sap and unusual and unique floral structures.
The genus may be described by properties of its member’s gene sequence or by the shape and the form (morphology) of its heads of flowers. When viewed as a whole the head of flowers looks like a single flowers.
It has a unique a pseudanthium, called a Cyathium, where each flower in the head is reduced to only that stamen, and the females to the pistil (Bruyns & Hedderson, 2006). The genus can be found all over the world. The form range from annual plants laying on the ground to well developed tall trees (Bruyns & Hedderson, 2006).
The plants are annual or perennial herbs, woody shrubs or trees with caustic poisonous milky latex. The roots are fine or thick and fleshy or tuberous. Many species are more or less succulent, thorny or unarmed. The main stem, and mostly also the side arms of the succulent species are thick and fleshy. The deciduous leaves may be opposite, alternates or in whorls.
In succulent species, the leaves are mostly small and short-lived. The stipules are mostly small, partly transformed into spines or glands (Richard, 2013). In Euphorbia flowers occur in the head, called the Cyathium (plural Cyathia) each male or female flower in the Cyathium heads has only its essential sexual part in males, the stamen and in females the pistil.
The flowers do not have sepals, petals or nectar to attract pollen, although other non flower parts of the plant have an appearance and nectar glands with similar roles. Euphorbias are the only plant known to have this kind of flower head (Steinmann & Porter, 2002).
Euphorbia tithymaloides is a perennial succulent spurge (Sajeva & Constanzo, 1994). An erect shrub (Vardhana, 2008) the plant is also known by the scientific name Pedilanthus tithymaloides. However, the genus Pedilanthus has been submerged into the genus Euphorbia and is more correctly known by its new name (Euphorbia tithymaloides) (Steinmann, 2003).
Euphorbia tithymaloides has a large number of household names used by gardeners and the public. Among them are redbird flower, devil’s-backbone, buck-thorn, cimora misha, Christmas candle, fiddle flower, Jacob’s ladder, Jew’s shipper, Jew bush, milk-hedge, myrtle-leaved spurge, padus-leaved clipper plant, red slipper spurge, redbird cactus, slipper flower, slipper plant, slipper spurge (Nellis, 1997). In other of the world, it is known as qin-ryu (Japan); pokok lipan and penawar lipan (Indonesia); airi, baire and aqia (India); aperoju (Yoruba) (Quattrocchi, 1990).
Euphorbia tithymaloides is native to tropical and subtropical North American and Central American. It prefers soil that is sandy, well-drained and nutrient-rich, particularly with higher concentrations of boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc (Neumann, 2008). It is relatively intolerant of high soil salinity levels, but exhibits saline tolerance if well fertilized.
The plant tends to be taller and have more biomass if it’s well-watered. The plant requires a sunny area to grow in (Neumann, 2008). The shrub can grow to 6 to 8 feet [1.8 to 24 inches (46 to 61 cm)] in width. The leaf is a simple angiosperm leaf, arranged oppositely on the stem. Each leaf is sessile and about 1.4 to 3 inches in length. The leaves are glabrous (smooth) and acuminate in shape with entire (smooth) edges. The veins in the leaves are pinnate. The plant terminates in dichotomous cymes, with a peduncle supporting each flower.
The floral leaves are bifid (split in two parts) and ovate, while the involucral braots are brightened, irregularly acuminate in shape (e.g. like a slipper) and about 0.043 to 0.057 inches in length with a long, thin tube (Vardhana, 2005). The flower is void of scent. The male pedicle is hairy, the female is glabrous. The seeds pod is about 0.30 inches long and 0.35 inches wide and ovoid in shape (truncated ends). The plant generally flowers in mild spring (Vardhana, 2005). There are several at rhynizoid subspecies.
The roots, stems and leaves of the plant are known to be toxic (Nellis, 1997). These parts of the plant contain euphorbol (a complex terpene) and other diterpenes esters. These are also known as carcinogens (Spoerke, 1990). The plant’s leaves and stems also contain beta-sitosterol, cycloartenone, octalosanol and oxime, all of which have been known to be medicinal as well as toxic properties (Khare, 2007).
Even minor amounts (a few drops) of the juice of the Euphorbia tithymaloides root can irritate mucosal membranes. When ingested, the irritation of the mucosal membranes of the stomach and the intestines will cause nausea and vomiting (Nellis, 1997).
Topical application causes skin irritation, inflammation and even blisters (Spoerke, 1990). If introduced typically to the eye, severe pain, kera to conjunctivitis and reduced visual activity occur. Ingesting even a few seeds can cause violent and persistent vomiting and extreme diarrhea. If latex or root juice gets on the skin, the victim should immediately wash with soap and warm water.
If latex or juice gets into the eye, continuous rinsing with fresh water should be the first course of action. Topical steroids are indicated for skin or eye contact. Intravenous fluids are often administered to counteract the fluid loss due to vomiting and diarrhea (Nellis, 1997).
The root is known to be a powerful emetic. A proteolytic enzyme known as pedilanthain can be extracted from the plant’s latex and has been shown in experiment against intestinal worms and to reduce inflammation when ingested (Khare, 2007). In 1995, a galactose specific lectin was purified from the plant’s latex and indications are that it might be useful in combating diabetes mellitus (Van, 1998).
In folk medicine, tea has been brewed from the leaves which have been used to treat asthma, persistent coughing, laryngitis, mouth ulcers and venereal disease. Tea brewed from the root has been used as an abortifacient.
The latex has been used topically to treat calluses, ear ache, insect’s stings, ringworm, skin cancer, toothache, umbilical hernias and warts (Nellis, 1997). None of these uses has been scientifically verified as effective. In the West Indies, a few drops of the latex is added to milk and used as an emetic (Spoeke, 1990).
1.1 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
1.1.1 AIM
The project is aimed at carrying out Phytochemical Screening And Elemental Analysis Of Euphorbia Tithymaloides.
1.1.2 OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this project include:
To carry out phytochemical screening of Euphorbia tithymaloides.
To carry out elemental analysis of Euphorbia tithymaloides.
1.2 JUSTIFICATION OF WORK
This project is carried out using the plant part readily available from the nearest sources and due to environmental factors, coupled with its lifecycle. The choices of solvent used for extraction are based on their polarities. Other materials used in this project are based on their accessibility.
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