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Lignins are phenylpropanoid polymers, derived from monolignols, commonly found in terrestrial plant secondary cell walls. We recently reported evidence of an unanticipated catechyl lignin homopolymer (C lignin) derived solely from caffeyl alcohol in the seed coats of several monocot and dicot plants. We previously identified plant seeds that possessed either C lignin or traditional guaiacyl/syringyl (G/S) lignins, but not both. Here, we identified several dicot plants (Euphorbiaceae and Cleomaceae) that produce C lignin together with traditional G/S lignins in their seed coats. Solution-state NMR analyses, along with an in vitro lignin polymerization study, determined that ther is, however, no copolymerization detectable (i.e., that the synthesis and polymerization of caffeyl alcohol and conventional monolignols in vivo is spatially and/or temporally separated). In particular, the deposition of G and C lignins in Cleome hassleriana seed coats is developmentally regulated during seed maturation; C lignin appears successively after G lignin within the same testa layers, concurrently with apparent loss of the functionality of O-methyltransferases, which are key enzymes for the conversion of C to G lignin precursors. This study exemplifies the flexible biosynthesis of different types of lignin polymers in plants dictated by substantial, but poorly understood, control of monomer supply by the cells.

Euphorbia stracheyi Boiss was used for hemostasis, analgesia, and muscular regeneration in traditional Chinese medicine. To study the chemical constituents of E. stracheyi, the ethyl acetate part of the methanol extract of the whole plant was separated by silica gel, sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC. The isolation led to the characterization of a new lathyrane type diterpenoid, euphostrachenol A (1), as well as eleven known compounds (2–11), including a lathyrane, three ingenane-type and two abietane-type diterpenoids, two ionones, and two flavonoids. The structures of these compounds were established using 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallographic experiments. The MTT method was used to determine the cytotoxic activity of five cancer cell lines (Leukemia HL-60, lung cancer A-549, liver cancer SMMC-7721, breast cancer MCF-7, and colon cancer SW480) on the isolated compounds. However, only compound 4 showed moderate cytotoxicity against these cell lines, with IC[sub.50] values ranging from 10.28 to 29.70 μM, while the others were inactive. Our chemical investigation also confirmed the absence of jatrophane-type diterpenoids in the species, which may be related to its special habitat.

As a developing country with the world's largest population, China faces a serious challenge in satisfying its continuously increasing energy demands. Tung trees (Vernicia sp., especially V. fordii and V. montana), are multipurpose, perennial plants belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family. The unique chemical properties of tung seed oil make it one of the best known industrial drying oils. In this review, the breeding status of tung trees in China and some factors which limit the development of tung tree breeding will be summarised. Improvements in ecological performance and pathogen resistance, through to improved breeding methods, will help to rapidly expand the development and use of tung trees and their oil products in China. It is essential for tung tree breeding to advance in the future to keep pace with the increased demand.

We describe Acalypha brevipetiolata and A. bracteolata from Tanzania, and A. linearis from Angola, as species new to science. We provide illustrations, distribution maps, and preliminary conservation assessments. We discuss their significance in the context of both countries and within the framework of an ongoing taxonomic monograph of the genus in Africa. These are the first new Acalypha species described in Africa in nearly two decades, in Tanzania in five decades, and in Angola in over a century.

If genetic constraints are important, then rates and direction of evolution should be related to trait evolvability. Here we use recently developed measures of evolvability to test the genetic constraint hypothesis with quantitative genetic data on floral morphology from the Neotropical vine Dalechampia scandens (Euphorbiaceae). These measures were compared against rates of evolution and patterns of divergence among 24 populations in two species in the D. scandens species complex. We found clear evidence for genetic constraints, particularly among traits that were tightly phenotypically integrated. This relationship between evolvability and evolutionary divergence is puzzling, because the estimated evolvabilities seem too large to constitute real constraints. We suggest that this paradox can be explained by a combination of weak stabilizing selection around moving adaptive optima and small realized evolvabilities relative to the observed additive genetic variance.

Cheilosoideae is the smallest and earliest-diverging of the four subfamilies of Euphorbiaceae, with seven species grouped in two morphologically similar paleotropical genera, Cheilosa and Neoscortechinia . The subfamily is distinguished by its unusual echinate pollen but their relationships remain poorly understood, with limited taxon sampling in prior evolutionary analyses. The present study, using newly generated whole plastome and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) datasets, provides new insights into their molecular and morphological evolution. Our findings on the seven assembled Cheilosoideae plastomes reveal typical tetrad structure and length variation, with sizes ranging from 160,197 bp to 163,210 bp. Structural variations among plastomes generated distinct hotspots of repetitive sequences, particularly within tandem repeats and SSRs. Our phylogenetic analyses based on the plastome dataset resolved the four subfamilies (Cheilosoideae, Acalyphoideae, Crotonoideae, and Euphorbioideae) of Euphorbiaceae in successive sister relationships, although this result was partly inconsistent with an alternative topology based on the nrDNA dataset. Our study provides the first species-level phylogenetic framework for the Cheilosoideae. Both plastid and nuclear analyses strongly support an unexpected, slightly nested position of Cheilosa within a paraphyletic Neoscortechinia . Biogeographic analyses infer that Cheilosoideae probably originated from Southeast Asia and diversified since Middle Miocene (ca. 12.77 Ma). These results offer novel perspectives on the evolutionary history and biogeographic origins of Cheilosoideae within the Euphorbiaceae.

GRF genes have been confirmed to have important regulatory functions in plant growth, development and response to abiotic stress. Although the genome of Jatropha curcas is sequenced, knowledge about the identification of the species' GRF genes and their expression patterns is still lacking. In this study, we characterized the 10 JcGRF genes. A detailed investigation into the physic nut GRF gene family is performed, including analysis of the exon-intron structure, conserved domains, conserved motifs, phylogeny, chromosomal locations, potential small RNA targets and expression profiles under both normal growth and abiotic stress conditions. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the 10 JcGRF genes were classified into five groups corresponding to group I, II, III, IV and V. The analysis of conserved domains showed that the motifs of JcGRF genes were highly conserved in Jatropha curcas. Expression analysis based on RNA-seq and qRT-PCR showed that almost all JcGRF genes had the highest expression in seeds, but very low expression was detected in the non-seed tissues tested, and four JcGRF genes responded to at least one abiotic stress at at least one treatment point. Our research will provide an important scientific basis for further research on the potential functions of JcGRF genes in Jatropha curcas growth and development, and response to abiotic stress, and will eventually provide candidate genes for the breeding of Jatropha curcas.

The genus Alchornea Sw. belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. Alchornea species are commonly used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation; infectious, gastrointestinal, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and dermatological disorders; as well as other diseases. This comprehensive review provides an overview of recent scientific findings on the taxonomy, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological potential, and toxicology of the Alchornea species. The literature was searched using SciFindern, Google Scholar, and PubMed. The taxonomy of all reported plants was authenticated using “Plants of the World Online”. Studies were examined and categorized according to the genus’s taxonomic classification, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological potential, and toxicity. Phytochemical studies have identified 396 bioactive compounds, primarily triterpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolics. Pharmacological studies have reported significant antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-plasmodial, and cytotoxic effects. Nevertheless, toxicological statistics are limited and vary among species and extracts. The genus Alchornea exhibits significant pharmacological potential, as evidenced by its traditional uses. In comparison, the genus remains underexplored in terms of detailed mechanistic pharmacological evaluation. Studies of chemical constituents and biological activities have been conducted for only approximately 17 species. To translate the pharmacological potential of the genus Alchornea into clinical practice, a strategic focus on modern plant valorization is required. Future research should focus on the valorization of Alchornea species by developing standardized oral formulations and topical preparations that harness their validated anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects beyond traditional uses. However, these findings suggest that further research is needed to assess the efficacy and safety of the largely unexplored genus Alchornea.

Background Euphorbiaceae is one of the largest families of flowering plants. Due to its exceptional growth form diversity and near-cosmopolitan distribution, it has attracted much interest since ancient times. SBP-box ( SBP ) genes encode plant-specific transcription factors that play critical roles in numerous biological processes, especially flower development. We performed genome-wide identification and characterization of SBP genes from four economically important Euphorbiaceae species. Results In total, 77 SBP genes were identified in four Euphorbiaceae genomes. The SBP proteins were divided into three length ranges and 10 groups. Group-6 was absent in Arabidopsis thaliana but conserved in Euphorbiaceae. Segmental duplication played the most important role in the expansion processes of Euphorbiaceae SBP genes, and all the duplicated genes were subjected to purify selection. In addition, about two-thirds of the Euphorbiaceae SBP genes are potential targets of miR156 , and some miR-regulated SBP genes exhibited high intensity expression and differential expression in different tissues. The expression profiles related to different stress treatments demonstrated broad involvement of Euphorbiaceae SBP genes in response to various abiotic factors and hormonal treatments. Conclusions In this study, 77 SBP genes were identified in four Euphorbiaceae species, and their phylogenetic relationships, protein physicochemical characteristics, duplication, tissue and stress response expression, and potential roles in Euphorbiaceae development were studied. This study lays a foundation for further studies of Euphorbiaceae SBP genes, providing valuable information for future functional exploration of Euphorbiaceae SBP genes.

We describe Acalypha brevipetiolata and A. bracteolata from Tanzania, and A. linearis from Angola, as species new to science. We provide illustrations, distribution maps, and preliminary conservation assessments. We discuss their significance in the context of both countries and within the framework of an ongoing taxonomic monograph of the genus in Africa. These are the first new Acalypha species described in Africa in nearly two decades, in Tanzania in five decades, and in Angola in over a century.