ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Euphorbia milii Des Moul is a plant with a long history of use in traditional medicinal and is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions. Traditionally, its sap has been used in folk medicine to treat various conditions such as skin inflammations, pain, and boils. To date, it remains a commonly used herbal medicine in clinical practice. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This paper systematically reviews the phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of E. milii to assess its therapeutic potential and guide future studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed based on multiple s databases, including Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Elsevier, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang. Additionally, taxonomic databases such as Flora of China and Plants of the World Online (POWO) were consulted to verify the plant's nomenclature and distribution. RESULTS: To date, 85 compounds have been identified from E. milii, comprising 74 diterpenoids, 6 triterpenoids, 2 steroids, 2 flavonoids, and 1 macrocyclic lactone. These phytochemicals exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-gout, molluscicide, and anti-parasitic effects. CONCLUSION: Given its long history of traditional use, rich phytochemical composition, and diverse pharmacological activities, E. milii can be considered an important botanical resource for applications not only in traditional medicine but also in modern ecological and potential pharmacological contexts. However, in vivo and clinical studies remain limited. Future research should emphasize pharmacokinetic profiling to strengthen the basis for clinical applications and new drug development.
Chen et al. (Thu,) studied this question.