TCM Properties

Traditional Use

Cools blood and stops bleeding — used for menorrhagia, hemoptysis, and traumatic hemorrhage from heat in the blood level
Regulates menstruation and dissipates stasis — used for irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, and blood stasis patterns

Reduces swelling and relieves pain — used externally and internally for traumatic injury, fractures, and toxic swellings
Invigorates blood circulation — used for pain and stiffness from blood stasis obstructing the collaterals

Oleanane triterpenoids (euphorimaoid A, euphorimaoid B) — novel bioactive triterpenoids isolated from aerial parts; cytotoxic activity
β-Sitosterol and stigmasterol — phytosterols with anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering properties
Germanicol acetate and cycloartenol — pentacyclic triterpenoids
Amyrin acetate (α- and β-amyrin) — triterpenoids with anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity
Pulcherrol — novel phytosterol isolated from the latex

Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, and muscle relaxant — two isolated flavonoids demonstrate significant in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity; sedative and muscle relaxant effects confirmed in rodent models; molecular docking identifies key receptor binding targets (PMID 35722143)

Pregnancy — emmenagogue and blood-moving properties; menstrual-regulating action contraindicated throughout pregnancy

Latex irritation — the milky white latex of Euphorbia pulcherrima is irritating to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes; wear gloves and avoid contact; not the same toxicity concern as phorbol-ester-containing Euphorbia species, but caution still warranted
Not a standard Chinese pharmacopoeia herb — primarily used in folk medicine of southern China; formal clinical safety and pharmacokinetic data is limited
MSK page not found — drug interaction data not available from Memorial Sloan Kettering integrative medicine database