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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Early Access

Phytochemical profiling and evaluation of the anticancer activity of Euphorbia peplus ethyl acetate extract against prostate cancer cells

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.11675
Submitted
8 September 2025
Published
10-12-2025

Abstract

Because of its abundance of bioactive components, Euphorbia peplus, sometimes referred to as small spurge, is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family that has long been utilized for a variety of therapeutic uses. This study explores the phytochemical content and anticancer potential of E. peplus. After collecting, drying and grinding every part of the plant into a powder, the bioactive components were extracted using a Soxhlet device and ethyl acetate as a solvent. The plant's various chemical components were identified using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Numerous beneficial substances were also discovered through phytochemical analyses. Salicylic acid, resveratrol, epicatechin and apigenin are among the compounds that have not been previously identified or validated in E. peplus, according to a prior literature review. As a result, these substances might be regarded as new or unproven in this species, underscoring the possibility of finding phytochemicals that have not yet been identified. The MTT assay was used to assess the extracts' anticancer efficacy at various doses. With an IC₅₀ value of 162.5 µg/mL, the ethyl acetate extract demonstrated notable cytotoxic activity in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, suggesting increased efficacy with time. These results show that E. peplus is a good source of bioactive compounds with strong anticancer effects. Such findings highlight the potential of underexplored Euphorbia species growing in Iraq as a promising natural resource for future pharmacological applications. These findings emphasize the importance of further detailed in vivo and mechanistic studies to validate the bioactivity and explore therapeutic applications of E. peplus in cancer treatment. To support their possible usage in upcoming pharmaceutical applications, more research is advised to extract, identify and assess these components in vivo. 

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