Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antimycotic Potency of Euphorbia tirucalli (L.) Growing Around Purano Bazar, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal

Received: 21 April 2025     Accepted: 14 July 2025     Published: 13 August 2025
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Over thousands of years, people have used plants to heal a variety of ailments and infections. Euphorbia tirucalli, is a valuable member of the Euphobiaceae family, having a wide range of phytochemicals and potential applications in medicine. This in-vitro study was carried out to determine its efficacy against different types of disease and infection-causing bacteria and fungi. The plant's aerial portions were collected from Purano Bazar in Dharan City of Sunsari District in Province 1 of Nepal, and dried in a cabinet dryer at 30°C. The plant extracts were prepared using the Soxhlet apparatus and a range of solvents such as water, methanol, and chloroform. The plant extracts were collected and stored at 4°C for subsequent examination. The physiologically active components of Euphorbia tirucalli that provide antimicrobial properties were investigated. The total tannin, phenolic, and flavonoid contents were measured. The agar-well diffusion method was utilized to assess antibacterial and antifungal activity at different extract concentrations (0.3 and 0.6g/ml). Bacteria (S. pyogenes, S. aureus, E. coli, S. typhi, and P. aeruginosa) and fungi (A. niger and C. albicans) were used in the experiment. The lowest inhibitory concentration measured was 3.11mg/ml. The methanolic extract had effective antibacterial activity against S. typhi, with zones of inhibition (ZOI) of 21.5 and 33.16 mm. Pseudomonas had the lowest inhibition zone, measuring 12.83 mm and 17.17 mm. The aqueous and chloroform extract, on the other hand, showed no inhibition zones against fungi and bacteria. Only the methanol extract was effective against Aspergillus niger (ZOI: 11.19 mm and 9.5 mm) and Candida albicans (ZOI: 29.17 mm and 21.50 mm). No ZOI was found in chloroform and aqueous extracts. Variances in bioactive compounds and solvents could explain these variances in Euphorbia tirucalli's antimicrobial activity. The insights gained via further inquiry and analysis could be useful in the future for creating medications to combat different infections.

Published in International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (Volume 13, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16
Page(s) 192-202
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Antimicrobial, Euphorbiaceae, Pharmacology, Methanol, Chloroform

References
[1] Mwine, J. T., Van Damme, P. (2011). Why do Euphorbiaceae tick as medicinal plants? A review of Euphorbiaceae family and its medicinal features. J Med Plants Res 5(5), 652- 662.
[2] Humphries, R.., Bobenchik, A. M., Hindler, J. A., & Schuetz, A. N. (2023). Overview of changes to the clinical and laboratory standards institute performance standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, M100. Journal of clinical microbiology. 59(12), 10-128.
[3] Mali, P. Y., & Panchal, S. S. (2017). Euphorbia tirucalli L.: Review on morphology, medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 7(7), 603-613.
[4] Sultan, S., Kimaro, C. C., & Amri, E. (2016). Antifungal activity and phytochemical screening of different solvent extracts of Euphorbia tirucalli Linn. Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology, 7(1), 1-9.
[5] Swapna, B., Harisha, R., Kotha, S., Rao, M. R., & Setty, S. R. (2020). Pharmacognostic evaluation of aerial parts of Euphorbia tirucalli. Pharmacognosy Research, 12(4), 409-415.
[6] Dong, J., Zhang, L., Liu, Y., Xu, N., Zhou, S., Yang, Q., Yang, Y., Ai, X. (2020). Thymol protects channel catfish from Aeromonas hydrophila Infection by inhibiting aerolysin expression and biofilm formation. Microorganisms 8, 636.
[7] Topa, S. H., Palombo, E. A., Kingshott, P., & Blackall, L. L. (2020). Activity of cinnamaldehyde on quorum sensing and biofilm susceptibility to antibiotics in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microorganisms 8, 455.
[8] Kumar, V., Banu, R. F., Begum, S., Kumar, M. S., Mangilal, T. (2015). Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Dactyloctenium aegyptium. IJPR, 5(12), 338-343.
[9] Garcia, E. F., et al. (2024). “Novel approaches in antimicrobial research”. Jornal of Ethnopharmacology, 288, 114-128.
[10] Wanna, D. Y., Mzula, A., & Mwega, E. D. (2023). Antibacterial Potential and Safety Level of Euphorbia tirucalli and Vernonia glabra Commonly used by Residents in Iringa, Tanzania. Journal of Medicinal Plants and By-products, 3, 283-292.
[11] Gulcin, I., Uguz, M. T., Oktay, M., Beydemir, S., Kufrevioglu, O. I. (2004). Evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Clary Sage (Slavia sclarea L.). Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry 28, 25-33.
[12] Abad, M. J., Ansuategui, M., & Bermejo, P. (2007). Active antifungal substances from natural sources. Archive for Organic Chemistry, 7, 116-145.
[13] Gupta, N., Vishnoi, G., Wal, A., Wal, P. (2012). Medicinal value of Euphorbia tirucalli. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy 4(1), 40.
[14] Tiwari, S., & Singh, A. (2006). Biochemical stress response in freshwater fish Channa punctatus induced by aqueous extracts of Euphorbia tirucalli plant. Chemosphere, 64, 36-42.
[15] Mwine, J., & Van Damme, P. (2010). Evaluation of selected pesticidal plant extracts against major cabbage insect pests in the field. In Tropentag 2010: "World food system - A contribution from Europe", ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
[16] Munro, B., Vuong, Q. V., Chalmers, A. C., Goldsmith, C. D., Bowyer, M. C., & Scarlett, C. J. (2015). Phytochemical, antioxidant and anti‑cancer properties of Euphorbia tirucalli in methanolic and aqueous extracts. Antioxidants (Basel), 4, 647‑61.
[17] Abd Wahab, N. Z., Malza, N. M. N. M., & Rukayadi, Y. (2024). Phytochemical Screening and Evaluation of Antibacterial, Anticandidal, and Sporicidal Properties of Euphorbia tirucalli Extract in Terengganu, Malaysia. HAYATI Journal of Biosciences, 31(5), 903-915.
[18] Khatri, D., & Lawati, A. M. (2022). Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Phytochemical Constituents of Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze and Cassia alata (L.) using Different Organic Solvents. Himalyan Journal of Science and Technology, 6, 29-37.
[19] Niño, J., Mosquera, O. M., & Correa, Y. M. (2012). Antibacterial and antifungal activities of crude plant extracts from Colombian biodiversity. Revista de Biología Tropical, 60(4), 1535-1542.
[20] Usman, H. & Abdulrahman, F. I. (2009). Phytochemical screening and in vitro antimicrobial effects of methanol stem bark extract of Ficus thonningii (Moraceae). African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 6(3), 289-295.
[21] Tambe, V. D., & Bhambar, R. S. (2014). Estimation of Total Phenol, Tannin, Alkaloid, and Flavonoid in Hibiscus tiliaceus Linn. Wood Extracts. Research and Reviews: Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2(4), 41-47.
[22] Khalee, S. M. J. (2018). Studying the heavy metals composition and the impact of different common solvents on the extraction efficiency of phytochemical secondary metabolites from the leaves of Ziziphus spina-christi grown in Jordan. Pak. J. Nutr, 17(8), 392-398.
[23] Sankalkhar, S., & Vernekar, V. (2016). Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Phenolic and Flavonoid Content in Moringa oleifera Lam and Ocimum tenuiflorum L. Pharmacognosy Res. 8(1), 16-21.
[24] Ríos, J. L., Recio, M. C., & Villar, A. (1998). Screening methods for natural products with antimicrobial activity: A review of the literature. J. Ethnopharm. 23, 127-149.
[25] Okeke, M. I., Iroegbu, C. U., Eze, E. N., Okoli, A. S., & Esimone, C. O. (2001). Evaluation of extracts of the root of Landolphia owerrience for antibacterial activity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 78(2-3), 119-127.
[26] Khokra, S. L., Prakash, O., Jain, S., Aneja, K. R., & Dhingra, Y. (2008). Essential oil composition and antibacterial studies of Vitex negundo Linn. extracts. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 70(4), 522.
[27] Aneja, K. R., Joshi, R., & Sharma, C. (2009). Antimicrobial activity of Dalchini (Cinnamomum zeylanicum bark) extracts on some dental caries pathogens. J Pharm Res, 2(9), 1387-1390.
[28] Upadhyay, B., Singh, K. P. & Kumar, A. (2010). Ethno-Medicinal, Phytochemical and Antimicrobial studies on Euphorbia tirucalli L. Journal of Phytology, 2(4), 65-77.
[29] Younes, A. B., Salem, M. B., Abed, H. E., & Jarraya, R. (2018). Phytochemical screening and antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, and antioxidant properties of Anthyllis henoniana (Coss.) Flowers extracts in an alloxan-induced rats model of diabetes. Evid. Based Complement. Altern. Med. 3, 1-14.
[30] Sugumar, S., Karthikeyan, S. & Gothandan, K. M.(2010). Preliminary Phytochemical and Antibacterial Investigations of Euphorbia tirucalli Stem Extracts. Pharmacologyonline, 3, 937-943.
[31] Chanda, S. V., & Baravalia, Y. (2010). Screening of some plant extracts against some skin diseases caused by oxidative stress and microorganisms. Afr J Biotech, 9(21), 3210-7.
[32] Mahida, Y., & Mohan, J. S. S. (2006). Screening of Indian plant extracts for antibacterial activity. Pharmaceutical Biology, 44, 627-631.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Lawati, A. M., Udas, S., Chaudhary, N., Chaudhary, A., Limbu, B. R. (2025). Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antimycotic Potency of Euphorbia tirucalli (L.) Growing Around Purano Bazar, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal. International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 13(4), 192-202. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Lawati, A. M.; Udas, S.; Chaudhary, N.; Chaudhary, A.; Limbu, B. R. Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antimycotic Potency of Euphorbia tirucalli (L.) Growing Around Purano Bazar, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal. Int. J. Environ. Monit. Anal. 2025, 13(4), 192-202. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Lawati AM, Udas S, Chaudhary N, Chaudhary A, Limbu BR. Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antimycotic Potency of Euphorbia tirucalli (L.) Growing Around Purano Bazar, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal. Int J Environ Monit Anal. 2025;13(4):192-202. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16,
      author = {Amrit Maya Lawati and Sajan Udas and Nitesh Chaudhary and Asmita Chaudhary and Bhumi Raj Limbu},
      title = {Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antimycotic Potency of Euphorbia tirucalli (L.) Growing Around Purano Bazar, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal
    },
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis},
      volume = {13},
      number = {4},
      pages = {192-202},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijema.20251304.16},
      abstract = {Over thousands of years, people have used plants to heal a variety of ailments and infections. Euphorbia tirucalli, is a valuable member of the Euphobiaceae family, having a wide range of phytochemicals and potential applications in medicine. This in-vitro study was carried out to determine its efficacy against different types of disease and infection-causing bacteria and fungi. The plant's aerial portions were collected from Purano Bazar in Dharan City of Sunsari District in Province 1 of Nepal, and dried in a cabinet dryer at 30°C. The plant extracts were prepared using the Soxhlet apparatus and a range of solvents such as water, methanol, and chloroform. The plant extracts were collected and stored at 4°C for subsequent examination. The physiologically active components of Euphorbia tirucalli that provide antimicrobial properties were investigated. The total tannin, phenolic, and flavonoid contents were measured. The agar-well diffusion method was utilized to assess antibacterial and antifungal activity at different extract concentrations (0.3 and 0.6g/ml). Bacteria (S. pyogenes, S. aureus, E. coli, S. typhi, and P. aeruginosa) and fungi (A. niger and C. albicans) were used in the experiment. The lowest inhibitory concentration measured was 3.11mg/ml. The methanolic extract had effective antibacterial activity against S. typhi, with zones of inhibition (ZOI) of 21.5 and 33.16 mm. Pseudomonas had the lowest inhibition zone, measuring 12.83 mm and 17.17 mm. The aqueous and chloroform extract, on the other hand, showed no inhibition zones against fungi and bacteria. Only the methanol extract was effective against Aspergillus niger (ZOI: 11.19 mm and 9.5 mm) and Candida albicans (ZOI: 29.17 mm and 21.50 mm). No ZOI was found in chloroform and aqueous extracts. Variances in bioactive compounds and solvents could explain these variances in Euphorbia tirucalli's antimicrobial activity. The insights gained via further inquiry and analysis could be useful in the future for creating medications to combat different infections.},
     year = {2025}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antimycotic Potency of Euphorbia tirucalli (L.) Growing Around Purano Bazar, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal
    
    AU  - Amrit Maya Lawati
    AU  - Sajan Udas
    AU  - Nitesh Chaudhary
    AU  - Asmita Chaudhary
    AU  - Bhumi Raj Limbu
    Y1  - 2025/08/13
    PY  - 2025
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16
    T2  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JF  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JO  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    SP  - 192
    EP  - 202
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7667
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20251304.16
    AB  - Over thousands of years, people have used plants to heal a variety of ailments and infections. Euphorbia tirucalli, is a valuable member of the Euphobiaceae family, having a wide range of phytochemicals and potential applications in medicine. This in-vitro study was carried out to determine its efficacy against different types of disease and infection-causing bacteria and fungi. The plant's aerial portions were collected from Purano Bazar in Dharan City of Sunsari District in Province 1 of Nepal, and dried in a cabinet dryer at 30°C. The plant extracts were prepared using the Soxhlet apparatus and a range of solvents such as water, methanol, and chloroform. The plant extracts were collected and stored at 4°C for subsequent examination. The physiologically active components of Euphorbia tirucalli that provide antimicrobial properties were investigated. The total tannin, phenolic, and flavonoid contents were measured. The agar-well diffusion method was utilized to assess antibacterial and antifungal activity at different extract concentrations (0.3 and 0.6g/ml). Bacteria (S. pyogenes, S. aureus, E. coli, S. typhi, and P. aeruginosa) and fungi (A. niger and C. albicans) were used in the experiment. The lowest inhibitory concentration measured was 3.11mg/ml. The methanolic extract had effective antibacterial activity against S. typhi, with zones of inhibition (ZOI) of 21.5 and 33.16 mm. Pseudomonas had the lowest inhibition zone, measuring 12.83 mm and 17.17 mm. The aqueous and chloroform extract, on the other hand, showed no inhibition zones against fungi and bacteria. Only the methanol extract was effective against Aspergillus niger (ZOI: 11.19 mm and 9.5 mm) and Candida albicans (ZOI: 29.17 mm and 21.50 mm). No ZOI was found in chloroform and aqueous extracts. Variances in bioactive compounds and solvents could explain these variances in Euphorbia tirucalli's antimicrobial activity. The insights gained via further inquiry and analysis could be useful in the future for creating medications to combat different infections.
    VL  - 13
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Biology, Central Campus of Technology, Tribhuvan University, Hattisar, Dharan, Nepal

  • Department of Food Science, Birendra Multiple College, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal

  • Department of Biology, Central Campus of Technology, Tribhuvan University, Hattisar, Dharan, Nepal

  • Department of Biology, Central Campus of Technology, Tribhuvan University, Hattisar, Dharan, Nepal

  • Department of Computer Engineering, Eastern College of Engineering, Biratnagar, Morang, Nepal

  • Sections