Euphorbia hirta is a common medicinal plant in folk and traditional medicine systems. This plant has shown promising effects against several human ailments and infectious diseases. Therefore, it is important to summarize the medicinal activities and value of Euphorbia hirta. The main intent of this literature review was to summarize the phytochemical content and pharmacological applications of Euphorbia hirta. The literature review about the pharmacology and phytochemistry of Euphorbia hirta was collected from different global platforms, such as Scopus, ERIC, PubMed, and Web of Science. E. hirta has a rich phytochemistry and exhibits remarkable activity against respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and venereal diseases. Different extracts of this plant have shown significant preclinical anticancer propensity against an array of different cancer cell lines. It acts as a highly active antiviral agent and has shown pronounced activity against coxsackievirus, human immunodeficiency virus, dengue virus, poliovirus and simian immunodeficiency virus. A clinical study showed its inhibitory responses against flu and fever in dengue patients. Most importantly, the plant possesses remarkable inhibitory action on ACE, which aids SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells. The multidimensional role of Euphorbia hirta as a potential antiviral agent suggests its possible application to control COVID-19 along with modern and Western medicinal strategies. In conclusion, the literature review regarding Euphorbia hirta showed its strong pharmacological applications, such as antimicrobial, antimalarial, anti-asthmatic, antioxidant, antiviral and anticancer activities. Further in-depth research is necessary to monitor its role in the management of viral diseases, especially COVID-19.

Background: Salviamoorcroftiana Wall. ex Benth. is a herbaceous perennial plant indigenous to the Himalayan mountains and especially common in the Kashmir Valley, India. This plant was selected based on its ethnopharmacological promise and the dearth of scientific reporting on its biological activity. This study examined the anticancer therapeutic potential of Salviamoorcroftiana Wall. ex Benth. and also sought to demonstrate its induction of apoptosis, autophagy, and oxidative stress in lung and breast cancer cells. Methods: Soxhlet's extraction technique was used to obtain an ethanolic extract of Salviamoorcroftiana. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to evaluate the effects of an ethanolic extract on cell proliferation, and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining was used to assess apoptotic cell morphology. Transmission electron microscopy was used to detect autophagy, and 2'-7'dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining was used to measure oxidative stress. Apoptosis and autophagyrelated protein levels were assessed with western blotting. Results: The ethanolic extract showed concentration and time-dependent inhibition of proliferation against A549 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC 50 values of 129.32 µg/ml and 118.12 µg/ml, respectively (*p < 0.05). The AO/EB staining revealed that ethanolic extract brings about apoptotic transformations in both cell lines, further supported by western blotting showing higher caspase 3 and 9 and Bax expression and lower Bcl-2 expression. TEM analysis and western blotting showed the formation of autophagosomes and higher expression of LC3B-I and LC3B-II in A549 and MDA-MB-231, respectively, confirming autophagy. Finally, the DCFH-DA staining showed concentration-reliant augmentation of intracellular ROS production in A549 and MDA-MB-231 cells, indicating the induction of oxidative stress by the ethanolic extract. Conclusion: This study showed the remarkable anticancer activity of an ethanolic extract of Salvia moorcroftiana Wall. ex Benth. roots via apoptosis, autophagy, and oxidative stress. Natural drug discovery and design against lung and breast cancer could benefit from these findings.

This research aimed to evaluate phytochemicals composition, antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifungal activity of different solvent extracts of P. oleracea L. (purslane) growing in Kashmir Valley. Different solvent extracts of the aerial parts of P. oleracea were prepared including aqueous, methanolic, ethanolic, acetone, and hexane. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was performed by different tests and quantitative analysis for total flavonoids and total phenolics was performed. Antioxidant potential was analyzed through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay, nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) assay, and FARP assay. Finally, the antimicrobial activity was evaluated through the disc-diffusion method. Results indicated that P. oleracea is very rich in phytochemical composition and revealed the presence of phenols, tannins, steroids, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, and anthraquinones. Total flavonoids and phenols were found significantly in these extracts while acetone extract showed the highest total flavonoids content (21.75 ± 0.21) and ethanolic extract showed the highest phenolic content (31.97 ± 0.32) mg g -1 dry matter (DM). Acetone extract possesses the highest antioxidant activity. The antibacterial activity was analyzed against S. aereus, E. coli, and M. luteus and antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium oxysporum. Each extract showed significant antifungal and antibacterial activity but the highest was revealed by ethanolic extract of P. oleracea. Ethanolic extract yielded minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) values of 0.14, 0.05, 0.07, 0.62, and 0.73 mg/ml against S. aereus, E. coli, M. luteus, Fusarium oxysporum, and Aspergillus flavus, respectively. In conclusion, P. oleracea growing in Kashmir Valley showed rich phytochemical composition, strong antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities.

The main aim of this research was to investigate the antiproliferative effects of P. oleracea L. extracts against oral cancer cells and the underlying mechanism of action. The effects of extracts on SCC-9 cell proliferation and colony generation were monitored by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and clonogenic assay, respectively. Morphological features were studied by phase-contrast microscopy. Apoptotic studies were carried out through AO/EB (Acridine Orange/Ethidium Bromide) staining and western blotting assay. Cell migration and invasion abilities of SCC-9 cells were studied by transwell assay. The results indicated that aqueous, ethanolic and hexane extracts all showed significant (P<0.05) proliferation inhibition against SCC-9 cells. However, a significant IC50 value was determined in case of ethanolic extract that is 52 µg/ml. The number of colonies reduced remarkably post extract treatment. Treated cells showed disturbed morphological features pointing towards apoptotic cell death. It was observed that ethanolic extract caused nuclear disintegration and membrane damage indicated apoptotic cell death, which was further supported by western blotting revealing increased expression of Bax and decreased Bcl-2 expression in treated SCC-9 cells. Furthermore, ethanolic extract significantly blocked the potency of SCC-9 cell to migrate and invade. In conclusion, the results showed that P. oleracea L. possess strong antiproliferative effects against oral cancer cells SCC-9 mediated via apoptosis induction. Moreover, migration and invasion of SCC-9 cells was also inhibited significantly. Therefore, our research could prove beneficial in oral cancer research and treatment and also could help in finding lead drug candidates from P. oleracea.