Phytosterols in some species of Euphorbia L.

In five species of Euphorbia of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region (NE Italy) (E. amygdaloides, E. cyparissias, E. helioscopia, E. fragifera and E. fl.avicoma subsp. verrucosa) ten phytosterols were isolated and identified, by means of HPLC and spectroscopic tecniques, as β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, colestan -3, 5, 6-triol, cycloartenol, squalene, stigmastanol, stigmasterol acetale, cholesterol and lanosterol. The ratio β-sitosterol/stigmasterol can be used to distinguish some of the species.