Spurge family

Ricin was found by Stillmark in 1889 as the first plant lectin derived from the seeds of the castor plant, Ricinus communis L., a member of the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family. Other members of this family include the popular houseplants poinsettia E. pulcherrima), and the croton species. The term castor bean is used commonly to refer to both the plant and seed of R. communis. Ricinus communis commonly grows along streams and riverbeds in addition to subtropical locations high in nutrients. Ricinus communis is a coarse perennial, 10-13 m tall in the tropics, with a stem 7.5-15 cm... 

Spurge family Square Square root Squid... 

The castor plant Ricinus communis) is a coarse herb of the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. When processed, the seed syn. castor bean yields half its weight in a triglyceride oil that is, uniquely, up to 85% ricinoleic acid. The oil is used as an ingredient or precursor in the manufacture of paints, varnishes, resins, synthetic fibres, lubricants, polishes, cosmetics, and many other materials. 

Various biosynthetic classes of phototoxic compounds have been isolated from over thirty plant families (5). Some plant families produce more than one type of phototoxin. Three different types of phototoxins have been isolated from the Apiaceae ( celery family), for example, and eight different types have been identified so far from the Rutaceae (citrus family). Among other families that contain phototoxins are the Asteraceae (sunflower family), Euphorbiaceae (spurge family), Fabaceae (pea family) and Moraceae (fig family) ( i). 

The castor oil plant Ricinus communis) is a subtropical, perennial species of flowering plant in the spurge family, which can be grown imder moderate chmatic... 

SosATH, S., H. H. Ott, and E. Hecker, Irritant principles of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). XIII. Oligocyclic and macrocy-clic diterpene esters from latices of some Euphorbia species utilized as source plants of honey, J. Nat. Prod., 51,1062-1074 (1988). 

Natural rubber (NR) is elastomer (an elastic hydrocarbon polymer) that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants (Hevea brasiliensis, a member of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae). The plants are tapped by making an incision in the bark of the tree and collecting the sticky, milk-coloured latex sap, which is refined into usable rubber. The purified form of NR is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically. NR is used in many applications and products, as is synthetic rubber. It is normally very stretchy and flexible and extremely waterproof. 

Webster G (1986) Irritant plants in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Clin Dermatol 4 36-45 Shannon J, Sagher F (1956) Sabra dermatitis an occupational dermatitis due to prickly pear handling simulating scabies. Arch Dermatol 74 269-275... 

Hecker W A E 1984 On the active principles from the spurge family. 10 skin irritant cocarcinogens and cryptic cocarcinogens from the latex of the manchineel tree. J Nat Prod 47 482-496... 

Although not directly involved as odour-active food components, diterpenes are widespread in the plant kingdom, where they mainly occur as components of resins of conifers and juices of the aster (sunflower) family (Asteraceae) and spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) plants. Diterpenic hydrocarbons are precursors of numerous diterpenoids, many of which are biologically active substances. More than 3000 different diterpenoid structures have been defined, aU of which appear to be derived from geranylgeranyl diphosphate. Like monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, diterpenes are mostly cycHc compounds. Examples of diterpenoid hydrocarbons (8-9) are tri-cychc hydrocarbon (-)-ent-kaur-16-ene, tetracycHc hydrocarbon (-)-abieta-7(8),13(14)-diene and macrocycHc compounds cem-brene, casbene and taxa-4,11-diene. 

Many diterpenoid alcohols are cyclic compounds occurring as free substances, but also as fatty acid esters or glycosides. The toxicity of latex of many plant species from the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) is caused by the presence of phorbol esters such as 13-acetyl-12-myristoyl-phorbol. Cafestol, kahweol (8-25) and related diterpenoids (16-O-methylcafestol, 16-0-methylkahweol and other compounds) are found in green coffee Coffea spp., Rubiaceae) beans (mainly esterified to fatty acids at the C-16 or C-17 position) and unfiltered coffee prepared from roasted coffee seeds, such as Turkish coffee. Kahweol is specific to C. arabica coffee, where it occurs in concentrations of about 5890 mg/kg of fresh weight and 5200 mg/kg in the endosperm and perisperm, respectively, while 16-O-methylcafestol occurs only in robusta coffee (C. canephora). The amount of cafestol in C. arabica is about... 

The genera in the family of Euphorbiaceae (Table 1) include various spurges, such as poinsettia and croton. 

CYPRESS SPURGE Euphorbia cyparissias, L., Family Euphorbiaceae, is a cultivated ornamental plant found in European gardens. The latex-containing aerial part of the plant is locally irritant. The symptoms of poisoning are irritation of the mucosa in the mouth and throat. In... 

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