Characterisation of ingenol: an inflammatory diterpene from some Nigerian Euphorbia and Elaeophorbia species.

Inflammatory latices of Euphorbia deightonii, Euphorbia desmondi, Elaeophorbia drupifera and Elaeophorbia grandiflora were found to contain ingenol as the parent alcohol of the diterpene esters. The chemotaxonomic significance of the occurrence of ingenol in the genus Elaeophorbia is discussed.