Euphorbia milii: Phenolic contents, Cytotoxic, and Antioxidant Prospect

doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v6i8.10

Abstract

The development of pharmacopeial, non-pharmacopeial, or synthetic medications has extensive relied on exploiting medicinal plants as they are a rich source of medicinal components. The present study focused on examining the cytotoxic, phenolic, and antioxidant prospects of Euphorbia milii. The whole dried plant was extracted using n-hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol to produce the organic extracts. Total phenolic contents, cytotoxic contents, and antioxidant activities were measured using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method, brine shrimp lethality bioassay, and DPPH radical scavenging assay, respectively. Anthraquinones, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and flavonoids were identified by phytochemical analysis. The highest phenolic content (276.41 ± 64 mg GAE/g dry extract wt) was observed in the methanol extract. Significant (P<0.04) antioxidant potential was exhibited by the methanol extract (78.8% inhibition with IC50 value of 35.71µg/mL). Methanol extract showed notable cytotoxicity at the highest dose level in the brine shrimp lethality test, with an LD50 of 471.05 (µg/mL). The study found considerable antioxidant and cytotoxic properties in Euphorbia milii. Further study is advised to identify the secondary metabolites responsible for the biological activities described.