Euphorbiaceae

The Euphorbiaceae are a large family of about 280 genera and some 7300 species (Lawrence, 1955). They can be either trees, shrubs, herbs, or vines and some are fleshily stemmed and cactus-like (Fig. 1.10). The major centers of distribution are tropical America and Africa. The succulent members are centered along both tropics in South America and Africa (Fig. 1.11) including the Canary Islands. 

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Revision Problem 6 CascariUic acid occurs naturally in Euphorbiaceae plants (spurges). How could you synthesise it ... 

Several biomass species have been found to contain oils and/or hydrocarbons (Table 13). It is apparent that oil or hydrocarbon formation is not limited to any one family or type of biomass. Interestingly, some species in the Euphorbiaceae family, which includes Hevea bra liensis form hydrocarbons having molecular weights considerably less than that of natural mbber at yields as high as 10 wt% of the plant. This corresponds to hydrocarbon yields of about 3.97 mVhm2-yr(25bbl/hm2-yr). 

ODETOLA A A, AKOJENU s M (2000) Auti-diarrhoeal and gastro-intestinal potentials of the aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus (Euphorbiaceae). Afr J Me Med Sci. 29 119-22. 

The tropane alkaloids occur mainly in the plant family Solanaceae but are also found in the families Convolvufaceae, Erythroxylaceae, Proteaceae, and Rhizophoraceae. In addition, the presence of tropane alkaloids has occasionally been indicated in the families Euphorbiaceae and Cruciferae (cf. Tables II and III). For a detailed account of the distribution of tropane alkaloids among species, interested readers should consult Refs. (15-23) and references therein. 

In regard to the antineoplastic potential, most of the evidence that has emerged from the last 30 years supports the fact that Euphorbiaceae represent a vast reservoir of cytotoxic agents, and one may reasonably expect the isolation of original anticancer agents from this family if enough work is done. A remarkable advance in the study of anticancer principles from Euphorbiaceae has been provided by Wada et al. (34). 

The most important species of the Hevea genus of the order Euphorbiaceae. All but a tiny proportion of the world supply of natural mbber is obtained from the Hevea tree originally native to the Amazon valley but now cultivated on a plantation scale in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and a number of other equatorial countries. 

Dufour, D.L. 1988. Cyanide content of cassava (Manihot esculenta, Euphorbiaceae) cultivars used by Tukanoan indians in northwest Amazonia. Econ. Botany 42 255-266. 

Eukaryotes, defined, 3 757t Eukaryotic cell biology, study of, 26 446 Eukaryotic chromosomes, 17 610 Euler equations, 11 742 Eulerian model, 11 822 Euler integration method, 20 688 Euler number, 11 745 23 190 Euphococcinine, 2 73 Euphorbiaceae, alkaloids in, 2 75 Eurasian Patent Convention, 18 198 Europe... 

A flavone xylopyranoside, 4, 5-dihyroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavone-3-0-[3-D-xylopyranoside (155), isolated from the roots of Euphorbia leu-cophylla (family Euphorbiaceae) by Satyanarayana et was found to reduce the blood glucose levels (BGLs) and increase the serum insulin levels in normal and diabetic rats. One flavone [l"(- )-5,4, l"-trihy-droxy-6,7-(3",3"-dimethylchromano)flavone 156] and one flavanone [(25)-4 -0-methyl-6-methyl-8-prenylnaringenin 157) both isolated... 

Diterpenes from Euphorbiaceae are toxic to livestock, and so are daphnane and daphnetoxin, diterpenes from Daphne mezereum (Thymelaeaceae). Toxins fromRhododendron are diterpenes. 

Salah AM, Bedir E, Ngeh TJ, Kahn LA, Wedge DE, Antifungal cletodane ditet-penes from Macaranga monandra (L) MueU. et Arg. (Euphorbiaceae), J Agric Food Chem 51 7607—7610, 2003. 

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