ABSTRACT
The family Euphorbiaceae consists of 300 genera and approximately 7500 species of trees, shrubs, herbs, and even cactus-shaped plants, often exuding a milky poisonous latex, and known to produce aporphine, pyridine, indole, and tropane-type alkaloids, lignans, phloroglucinol derivatives, various sorts of terpenes, proanthocyanins, anthraquinones, and fatty acid epoxides. Euphorbiaceae contain proteins, which are among the most violent existing poisons, such as curcin from Jatropha curcas, and ricin from Ricinus communis L. Euphorbia thymifolia L. is an annual herb that grows on roadsides, grasslands, and vacant plots of land in the Asia–Pacific. The healing and antidiarrheal properties of Euphorbia thymifolia are most likely owed to tannins, which are known to abound in the plant. In Malaysia, the leaves are used to heal wounds and the roots offer a treatment for fever. The medicinal properties of Macaranga tanarius Muell.-Arg. are most likely owed to tannins.
