ABSTRACT

The genııs Euphorbia is the largest in spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), comprising nıore than 2000 species. Some species of the genus Euphorbia have been used as medicinal plants for the treatment of skin diseases, migraine, and intestinal parasites and as wart cııres. Dııe to the rich cultural heritage and relatively rich flora, a wealth of knowledge on traditional and folk medicine has been accumıdated in Turkey. Some Euphorbia species have been using to treat skin diseases and wounds in different provinces in Turkey. The used parts of the Euphorbia species incinde roots, seeds, latex, stem wood, stem barks, leaves, and whole plants. Euphorbias have curative properties due to presence of various Chemicals, which are foımd as secondarv metabolites in these plants. Plants in the family Euphorbiaceae are w eli known for the Chemical diversity of their isoprenoid constituents. Diterpenoids are majority of the genus with manv different skeletons sııch as jatrophanes, lathyranes, tiglianes, ingenanes, myrsinanes, ete. İn addition, sesguiterpenoids, flavonoids and steroids were also obtained. The compounds isolated from genus Euphorbia and extracts perform manv different biological activities, ineluding antiproliferative, cytotoxic, antimierobial and anti-inflammatorv, anticancer and antioxidant activities ete.