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Family Euphorbiaceae
Bali-bali
Euphorbia tirucalli
MILK HEDGE, MILK BUSH


Common names   
Bali-bali (P. Bis.)  Suelda-con-suelda (Bik.) 
Consuelda (Span.) Suerda (Tag.) 
Katuit (Tag.)  Finger tree (Engl.) 
Konsuerda (Tag.)  Pencil cactus (Engl.)
Gaton (Ig.) Pencil tree (Engl.)  
Putputud (Ig.)  Milk-hedge, milk bush (Engl.) 
Solda-solda (C. Bis.)  Rubber euphorbia (Engl.)
  Indian tree spurge (Engl.) 

Botany
· Erect. smooth, fleshy shrub or small tree, 2 to 5 meters high, growing to 30 feet in the wild
· Branches are green, fleshy, cylindric, clustered or scatterd, about 5 mm thick.
· No leaves except for a few, small, linear-oblong ones which soon disappear leavin the stems smooth and cylindrical, glossy green and pencil-thick.
· The involucres are shortly-stalked, clustered in the forks of the smaller branches.

Distribution
Found from norther Luzon to Mindanao.
Nowhere spontaneous.
Occasionally garden hedge.

Chemical constituents and characteristics
• Euphorbon isolated from the needles, with 4 percent caoutchouc.
The latex yielded 75 to 82 percent resin, and 14 to 15 percent caoutchouc.
• Studies show the latex to be rich in terpenes, including ingenol and phorbol esters, the latter, highly irritating and shown to be tumor-promoting.
• Study isolated the6 terpenes: 1. cyclotirucaneol (2) cycloeuphordenol (3) tirucalicine (4) tirucaligine (5) euphorginol (6) euphorcinol.
• Latex showed great similarity in composition and activity to the highly poisonous croton seed oil from Croton tiglium.

Parts utilized
· Roots, stems, latex.

Uses
Folkloric
· Heated root scrapings mixed with coconut oil applied externally to the stomahc to relieve pain.
· Poultices of stems used for healing of fractures of bones.
· Latex used for wound healing.
· The milky juice, in small doses, is purgative; in large doses, emetic.
· Milky juice also applied to itches and insect bites. Also used for ear aches, whooping cough, asthma. Also, used to remove warts.
· Poultice of roots used for ulceration of nose, hemorrhoids.
· Decoction of the branches for colic and stomach pains.
· The latex may cause eye irritation or blindness. Has been used as a fish poison.
· In Africa, used as an insect repellant. Root used for snakebites; the latex for skin tumors, syphilitic ulcers; seeds and latex for intestinal parasites; decoctions of the wood for bacterial infections.
· In Malaysia, stems are pounded and used for swellings.
· In Dutch Indies, poultice of pounded stems are used to extract thorns.
· Root infusion for aching bones.
· Poultice of root and leaves used for nose ulcers and hemorrhoids.
· In India, latex used for asthma, cough, earache, neuralgia, rheumatism, toothache and warts.
· In Peru, used for abscesses, asthma, cancer, stomachaches and toothaches.


Biodiesel
• With little effort the poisonous latex can be converted to the equivalent of alcohol and has led chemist Melvin Calvin to propose its exploitation for producing oil. Milk bush grows on land not suitable for other crops, and is estimated to produce 10-50 barrels of oil per acre.
• Bali-bali is included in the list of oils with a potention for biodiesel: Algae Oil, Artichoke Oil, Canola Oil, Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Corn, Cottonseed Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Hemp Oil, Jatropha Oil, Jojoba Oil, Karanj Oil, Kukui Nut Oil, Milk Bush, Pencil Bush Oil, Mustard Oil, Neem Oil, Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Peanut Oil, Radish Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Safflower Oil, Sesame Oil, Soybean Oil,Sunflower Oil, Tung Oil.


Studies
Tradtional use of the latex from Euphorbia tirucalli in the treatment of cancer in South Brazil:
The study concludes that cancer management with E. tirucalli has no scientific basis and its esters have already presented a tumor-promoting ability.There are also endemic cancers in places where E. tirucalli is widely distributed and folklorically used.
Developmental Toxicity:
Toxicological screeningin rats suggests that the latex aqueous solution of E. tirucalli did not interfere with embryo development or implantation, but seems to alter the placenta morphology.
New highly irritant euphorbia factors from latex of Euphorbia tirucalli L.:
5 new euphorbia factors were isolated from the latex, all of which are highly sensitive to autoxidation.
Anti-Tumor Activity:
Study of ET in tumor-bearing micer showed a modulatory effect on myelopoietic response and levels of PGE2 possibly through regulation of granulocyte and macrophage production and expression of functional activities.
Tumor-Promoting:
• Although touted folklorically for treating cancers, studies on its esters show tumor-promoting activity. The latex has been documented to promote tumor growth and/or trigger certain cancers. Some studies consider it an environmental risk factor for Burkitt's lymphoma.
Anti-Arthritic:
Study of a biopolymeric fraction from ET showed dose-dependent anti-arthritic activity and in vivo immunomodulatory capacity as a major component in inhibiting arthritis.
Hepatoprotective / Antioxidant:
Study of aqueous extract of E tirucalli exhibited significant hepatoprotective effect, decreasing serum enzymes, bilirubin, cholesterol and tissue lipid peroxidation and increasing levels of tissue GSH. The hepatoprotective effect may be due to its antioxidant potential.


Toxicity / Concerns
Toxicity, immune suppression, tumor-promoting, and cancer concerns
Latex is rich in terpenes, including phorbol and ingenol esters. Studies have shown the latex to be toxic. Phorbol esters are highly irritating and has been documented to promote tumors. One phorbol has been shown to enhance Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, cause DNA damage to immune cells and cause suppression of the immune system. An extract has also been shown to decrease the ability of T-cells to kill EBV.
• Although touted folklorically for treating cancers, studies on its esters show tumor-promoting activity. The latex has been documented to promote tumor growth and/or trigger certain cancers. Some studies consider it an environmental risk factor for Burkitt's lymphoma.
Contact Irritant / Uveitis / Keratoconjunctivitis:
Latex skin contact causes burning and irritation. Ingestion causes burning and irritation of the mouth, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Several deaths have been attributed to the use of E. tirucalli for medicinal purposes. Reports have been made of chemical eye injury (keratoconjunctivitis) from exposure to the latex of ET.
• Many reports of mortality and morbidty with ingestion of the latex: vomiting, perforation of the stomach, intestines and kidney. In rats, it showed rapid severe inflammation, an oxytocin response, pro-convulsive and anti-convulsive effects,
• The triterpene esters are all highly inflammatory with carcinogenic activities.


Availability
Wild-crafted.
Cultivated.


Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Euphorbia tirucalli./ Aveloz
(2)
Tradtional use of the latex from Euphorbia tirucalli in the treatment of cancer in South Brazil / P. Cataluña, S.M.K. Rates
(3)
Toxicological screening of Euphorbia tirucalli L.: Developmental toxicity studies in rats / Aldo César Passilongo Silvaa, Dieime Elaine Pereira de Fari et al
(4)
New highly irritant euphorbia factors from latex of Euphorbia tirucalli L. / G. Fürstenberger1 and E. Hecker1
(5)
African Burkitt's lymphoma and an Epstein-Barr virus-enhancing plant Euphorbia tirucalli. / 1: Lancet. 1987 May 30;1(8544):1257-8. / Osato T, Mizuno F, Imai S, Aya T, Koizumi S, Kinoshita T, Tokuda H, Ito Y, Hirai N, Hirota M, et al.
(6)
Euphorbia tirucalli L. modulates myelopoiesis and enhances the resistance of tumour-bearing mice / International immunopharmacology / 2006-Feb; vol 6 (issue 2) : pp 294-9
(7)
Anti-arthritic activity of a biopolymeric fraction from Euphorbia tirucalli / Sarang Bani et al / Journal of ethnopharmacology / 2007, vol. 110, no1, pp. 92-98 / doi:10.1016/j.jep.2006.09.021
(8)
Studies in the Chemical Constituents of Euphorbia tirucalli and Calotropis procera / Abdul Qasin Khan / 1989
(9)
Research into Euphorbia latex and irritant ingredients Scientific articles with references and (in many cases) summaries / collected by Dr. Richard J. Hodgkiss
(10)
African ethnobotany / Hans Dieter Neuwinger
(11)
Biodiesel from Milk Bush, Pencil Bush Oil as Bio-diesel, Biofuel - Reference & Resources / Oligae
(12)
Plant Oils Used for Bio-diesel / BDpedia

(13)
Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activity of Euphorbia tirucalli / T M Jyothi et al / IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS / Jan 2008 / vol 7 . No 1, pp 25-30


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