ScienceAsia 9 (1983): 081-088 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.1983.09.081

3-0-ANGELOYLINGENOL, THE TOXIC AND SKIN IRRITANT FACTOR FROM LATEX OF EUPHORBIA ANITIQUORUM L. (EUPHORBIACEAE) AND FROM A DERIVED THAI PURGATIVE AND ANTHELIMINTIC (VERMIFUGE) DRUG

W. ADOLF,^a S. CHANAI^b and E. HECKER^a

ABSTRACT: From latex of Euphorbia antiquorum L. as well as from the purgative and anthelmintic (vermifuge) Thai drug yang Sa-Lad-Dai (dried, powdered latex) the highly skin irritant and toxic Euphorbia factor An₁ was isolated by combination of countercurrent distributions and chromatography. Spectroscopic and chemical characterisation of An₁ established its structure as 3-O-angeloylingenol (I). Because of the acute toxicity of factor An₁ and of the possible risk of co-carcinogenesis by tumor promotion. Utilization of drugs made up from dried or fresh latex as practiced in Thailand in purgath'es and vermifuges should be abandoned.

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a. Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Institut fur Biochemie, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-6900 Heidelberg, FRG
b. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Received 29 March 1983