The Journal of Phytopharmacology 2025; 14(4):258-266 ; DOI:10.31254/phyto.2025.14405
Antimicrobial potential of Euphorbiaceae plants: A comprehensive review of bioactive compounds, mechanisms, and therapeutic applications
Pushpa Kumari1 , Abhishek Kumar2 , Sujit Kumar3 , Munawar Fazal1
1. Department of Botany, College of Commerce, Arts and Science, Patliputra University, Patna-800020, Bihar, India
2. Department of Botany, Patna University, Patna-800005, Bihar, India
3. Department of Environmental Science, Nalanda Open University, Patna-800001, Bihar, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 1st July, 2025 / Accepted: 11th August, 2025 / Published : 30th September, 2025
The escalating global crisis of antimicrobial resistance necessitates the urgent development of novel therapeutic agents. The family Euphorbiaceae, comprising over 7,500 species distributed worldwide, represents a rich reservoir of bioactive secondary metabolites with promising antimicrobial potential. Despite extensive traditional use of these plants for treating infectious diseases, a comprehensive evaluation of their antimicrobial properties remains lacking. This review systematically examines the antimicrobial activities of selected Euphorbiaceae plants, evaluating their bioactive compounds, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential against pathogenic microorganisms. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases (2000-2024) using keywords related to Euphorbiaceae, antimicrobial activity, and bioactive compounds. Studies reporting in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activities, phytochemical analyses, and mechanism investigations were included following predetermined inclusion criteria. The review encompasses 156 studies investigating antimicrobial properties of 45 Euphorbiaceae species across 12 genera. Key findings reveal that Euphorbia hirta, Jatropha curcas, Ricinus communis, and Croton species demonstrate significant broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 12.5-500 μg/mL against various bacterial and fungal pathogens. Major bioactive compounds include diterpenes, triterpenes, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Primary mechanisms involve cell membrane disruption, enzyme inhibition, and oxidative stress induction. Several species show promising anti-biofilm properties and synergistic effects with conventional antibiotics. Euphorbiaceae plants represent a valuable source of antimicrobial agents with diverse chemical scaffolds and novel mechanisms of action. While promising in vitro activities are well-documented, translation to clinical applications requires standardized extraction protocols, comprehensive toxicity evaluations, and well-designed clinical trials. Future research should focus on structure-activity relationships, formulation development, and sustainable production strategies to harness the full therapeutic potential of these natural antimicrobials.
Drug resistance, Secondary metabolites, Gram-negative Bacteria, Anti-fungal, Anti-viral, Synergistic effects
HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE
Kumari P, Kumar A, Kumar S, Fazal M. Antimicrobial potential of Euphorbiaceae plants: A comprehensive review of bioactive compounds, mechanisms, and therapeutic applications. J Phytopharmacol 2025; 14(4):258-266. doi: 10.31254/phyto.2025.14405
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