Sachdeva Kamal et al.

IRJP 2 (4) 2011 61-66

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHARMACY ISSN 2230 – 8407

Available online http://www.irjponline.com
Review Article

A REVIEW ON CHEMICAL AND MEDICOBIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS OF

JATROPHA CURCAS
Sachdeva Kamal*, Singhal Manmohan, Srivastava Birendra
Department of pharmacology, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Article Received on: 20/02/2011 Revised on: 23/03/2011 Approved for publication: 02/04/2011

*Kamal Sachdeva, Research associate, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jaipur National University, Jaipur,
Rajasthan, India Email: manu_mpharm@yahoo.co.in

ABSTRACT
Jatropha curcas, a multipurpose, drought resistant, perennial plant belonging to Euphorbiaceae family is gaining lot of importance for the
production of biodiesel. It is a tropical plant that can be grown in low to high rainfall areas either in the farms as a commercial crop or on the
boundaries as a hedge to protect fields from grazing animals and to prevent erosion. Before exploiting any plant for industrial application, it
is imperative to have complete information about its biology, chemistry, and all other applications so that the potential of plant could be
utilized maximally. The taxonomy, botanical description of the plant, its distribution and ecological requirement are discussed in this paper.
The detailed information about the presence of various chemicals including toxins in different parts of the plant is summarized. The
possibilities of potential of plant for various pharmacological activities have been summarized. The information about the toxins and
detoxification methods is collected and discussed. Overall, this paper gives an overview on covering the biology, chemistry, toxicity of seeds
and detoxification and various industrial uses.
KEYWORDS: Jatropha curcus, Euphorbiaceae, biodiesel

INTRODUCTION Botanical description of Jatropha curcas

The genus Jatropha belongs to tribe Joannesieae in the
Euphorbiaceae family and contains approximately 170
known species1. Jatropha (figure1), a drought-resistant
shrub or tree, is widely distributed in the wild or semi-
cultivated areas in Central and South America, Africa,
India and South East Asia2. It was the first to name the
physic nut Jatropha L. in “Species Plantarum” and this is
still valid today. The genus name Jatropha derives from
the Greek word jatr´os (doctor) and troph´e (food), which
implies medicinal uses1. Curcus is common name for the
physic nut in Malabar, India. The physic nut, by
definition, is a small tree or large shrub, which can reach
a height of three to five meters, but under favourable
conditions it can attain a height of 8 or 10m. The plant
can be used to prevent soil erosion, to reclaim land,
grown as a live fence, especially to exclude farm animals
and also planted as a commercial crop3. Various parts of
the plant are of medicinal value, its bark contains tannin,
the flowers attract bees and thus the plant has a honey
production potential. Its wood and fruit can be used for
numerous purposes including fuel4. It is easy to establish
and grows relatively quickly. The purpose of this review
is to provide information about current development in
the field of Jatropha research.
Jatropha curcas L., or physic nut, has thick glorious
branchlets. Its botanical description is given in figure 2.
The tree has a straight trunk and grey or reddish bark,
masked by large white patches. It has green leaves with a
length and width of 6 to 15 cm, with 5 to 7 shallow
lobes. The leaves are arranged alternately. Dormancy is
induced by fluctuations in rainfall and temperature/light.
But not all trees respond simultaneously. In a hedge you
may have branches without leaves and next to them,
branches full of green leaves. The branches contain
whitish latex, which causes brown stains, which are very
difficult to remove. Normally, five roots are formed from
seeds: one tap root and 4 lateral roots. Plants from
cuttings develop only lateral roots. Inflorescences are
formed terminally on branches. The plant is monoecious
and flowers are unisexual. Pollination is by insects. After
pollination, a trilocular ellipsoidal fruit is formed. The
exocarp remains fleshy until the seeds are mature. The
seeds are black and in the average 18 mm long (11 – 30)
and 10 mm wide ripe Jatropha fruits (7 – 11). The life-
span of the Jatropha curcas plant is more than 50 years.
Roots Normally, five roots are formed from seedlings,
one central and four peripheral. A tap root is not usually
formed by vegetatively propagated plants5.

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 Sachdeva Kamal et al. IRJP 2 (4) 2011 61-66
Leaves Leaves five to seven lobed, hypostomatic and
stomata are of paracytic (Rubiaceous) type6. These are
large green to pale green colours.
Flowers The trees are deciduous, flowering occurs
during the wet season and in permanently humid regions,
flowering occurs throughout the year. The inflorescence
is axillary paniculate polychasial cymes. Male and
female flowers are produced on the same inflorescence,
averaging 20 male flowers to each female flower or 10
male flowers to each female flower. The plant is
monoecious and flowers are unisexual; occasionally
hermaphrodite flowers occur. A flower is formed
terminally, individually, with female flowers
(tricarpellary, syncarpous with trilocular ovary) usually
slightly larger and occurs in the hot seasons. The petiole
length ranges between 6-23 mm. In conditions where
continuous growth occurs, an unbalance of pistillate or
staminate flower production results in a higher number
of female flowers. Ten stamens are arranged in two
distinct whorls of five each in a single column in the
androecium, and in close proximity to each other. In the
gynoecium, the three slender styles are connate to about
two-thirds of their length, dilating to massive bifurcate
stigma. The rare hermaphrodite flowers can be
selfpollinating7.
Stem The branches contain latex8.
Fruits Each inflorescence yields a bunch of
approximately 10 or more ovoid fruits. Fruits are
produced in winter, or there may be several crops during
the year if soil moisture is good and temperatures are
sufficiently high. Three, bivalve coccid is formed after
the seeds mature and the fleshy exocarp dries9.
Seed The seeds are mature when the capsule changes
from green to yellow about 3–4 months after flowering.
The seeds are black and the seed weight per 1000 is
about 727 g, there are 1375 seeds/kg in the average. The
physic nut is a diploid species with 2n = 22
chromosomes10.
DISTRIBUTION
Jatropha curcas L. originates from Central America.
From the Caribbean, Jatropha curcas was probably
distributed by Portuguese seafarers via the Cape Verde
Islands and former Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea
Bissau) to other countries in Africa and Asia. Jatropha
grows almost anywhere except waterlogged lands, even
on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It will grow under a
wide range of rainfall regimes from 250 to over 1200
mm per annum. Today it is cultivated in almost all
tropical and subtropical countries11.
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ECOLOGY
Jatropha curcas L. is not a weed. It is not self
propagating. It has to be planted. It grows well with more
than 600 mm of rainfall per year, and it withstands long
drought periods. With less than 600 mm it cannot grow
except in special conditions like on Cape Verde Islands,
where the rainfall is only 250 mm, but the humidity of
the air is very high (rain harvesting). It cannot stand
frost. It survives a very light frost, but it loses all leaves.
The production of seeds will probably go down
sharply11.
USES OF JATROPHA CURCAS
India is by far the country with the largest potential for
Jatropha, the most advanced discussion, high-level
decisions, biggest number and types of institutions
involved and the broadest variety of experiences in the
field of Jatropha, including most related issues and
questions. India has the largest rural and agricultural
population, severe problems with soil degradation,
erosion and deforestation, and a scaring decrease of
water supply and depletion of aquifers. At the same time
salaries, farm incomes and food supplies are low, farm
labour is mostly available; there is a need for an
integrated farm management and an alarming overuse of
resources. Rural energy and electricity supply is
insufficient and further depleting resources, mainly
through forest and dung use. Petrol-oil sources are said
to deplete in 20 years at present consumption rates, with
70% being imported at present. India has almost one
third of agricultural lands degraded and has between 50
and 150 Mio ha of not used, underused or degraded land,
for reasons of and as a result of overuse, drought, erosion
and deforestation.
There is an impressive history and diversity of farming
systems, agro-industries and organisational structures. As
well, there is an outstanding biodiversity (45.000 wild
species of plant, 77.000 wild species of animals
recorded) and its use for a variety of purposes in
different regions of the country, even though still
reducing at a rapid rate. At the same time, India has
decided upon internationally by far the most impressive
and comprehensive National Program on Jatropha
promotion; this in terms of level of political involvement,
the broad and integrated objectives meant to be reached
and the level of funds being made available. Jatropha
projects are documented to be carried out since 1991
with disappointing results. However, there is now more
experience, better expertise about the strengths and
weaknesses and success factors in India available, even
though not yet well compiled. As well, Jatropha efforts
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have a much better Government backing now than ten
years ago.
Jatropha curcas L. is planted in the form of hedges
around gardens or fields to protect the crops against
roaming animals like cattle or goats and to reduce
erosion caused by water and/or wind12.
Uses of different parts of jaropha curcas plant are given
in table 1.
The superior quality oil can be extracted from the seeds.
The oil can be used as a mixed fuel for diesel/gasoline
engines. The Jatropha curcas L. plant is used as a
medicinal plant such as seeds against constipation; sap
for wound healing; leaves as tea against malaria etc.
In Comore islands, in Papua New Guinea and in Uganda
Jatropha curcas L. plants are used as a support plant for
vanilla plants; as a source of shade for coffee plants in
Cuba13,14.
PHYTOCHEMISTRY OF JATROPHA CURCAS
Chemical composition of various parts of Jatropha
curcas plant is given in table 2.
Three deoxypreussomerins, palmarumycins CP1, JC1,
JC2 were isolated from stem of Jatropha curcas L. in
which JC1 and JC2 showed the antibacterial activity20.
Jatropha oil contains approximately 24.60% of crude
protein, 47.25% of crude fat, and 5.54% of moisture
contents. Numerous sources are available on the fatty
acid composition of physic nut oil originating from
different countries. The oil fraction of Jatropha contains
saturated fatty acids mainly palmitic acid (16:0) with
14.1% and stearic acid (18:0) with 6.7%. Unsaturated
fatty acids consisted of oleic acid (18:1) with 47.0%, and
linoleic acid (18:2) with 31.6%. The oil with high
percentage of monounsaturated oleic and
polyunsaturated inoleic acid has a semi-drying property
(partially hardens when the oil is exposed to air). This
semi-drying oil could be an efficient substitute for diesel
fuel. Treatment of plants with growth regulators
significantly influenced the production of hydrocarbons.
Among the treatments, ethephon and morphactin induced
the maximum production of hydrocarbon with 5.0 and
5.4% respectively27.
PHARMACOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF PLANT
The oil has a strong purgative action and is also widely
used for skin diseases and to soothe rheumatic pain. A
decoction of leaves is used against cough and as an
antiseptic after birth. In a number of species of the genus
Jatropha, used in folk medicine in tropical areas, the
active principle is the macrocyclic diterpenoid
jatrophone, which co-occurs with the inactive
diterpenoids jatropholone A and B. Callus and
suspension cultures of Jatropha cathartica, J. cinerea, J.
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curcas, J. dioica, J. elliptica, J. multifida, J. podagrica
and J. mollissima were established, but most of the cell
lines tested accumulated no, or only small quantities of
jatrophone. The maximum jatrophone accumulation (3
μg. g[-l] dry weight) was obtained with callus and
suspension cultures derived from J. curcas and J.
elliptica. Root-organ cultures of J. elliptica formed
following incubation of suspension cells in the presence
of 3-indolebutyric acid (5 mg. L[-l]). The maximum
accumulation of jatrophone and the jatropholones in
newly initiated roots grown in vitro was 329 and 458 μg.
g[-l] dry weight, respectively. The effects on diterpenoid
accumulation by root-organs of alteration of
environmental parameters, and of the addition of
chitosan, Benomyl and Al[3+] to the growth medium
were investigated. The yield of jatrophone was
significantly increased in the presence of 0.07-0.7
mmol/L Al[3+], and the product profile was altered
concomitantly.
Antioxidant activity
Hydro-alcoholic extract of the leaves, stem and root of
Jatropha curcas L had showed significant antioxidant
activity using in vitro antioxidant models like DPPH
radical scavenging activity, nitric oxide radical
scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging
activity, reducing power method and hydrogen peroxide
radical scavenging activity28.
Hepatoprotective activity
Methanolic fraction of Jatropha curcas L. showed
hepatoprotective activity on aflatoxin b1 induced hepatic
carcinoma in animals29.
Wound healing activity
Herbal ointment containing the leaf and bark extract of
Jatropha curcas L. in wistar albino rats accelerates the
healing process by increasing the skin breaking strength,
granulation tissue breaking strength, wound contraction,
dry granulation tissue weight and hydroxyproline
levels30.
Antimetastatic and Antiproliferative activity
Methanolic fraction of Jatropha curcas L. was studied
for its anti-metastatic activity using B16F10 melanoma
cells in C57BL/6 mice. It was studied using MTT (3-
[4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium
bromide; Thiazolyl blue) assay and the IC50 was found
to be 24.8 μg/ml31.
Antimicrobial activity
Methanolic, ethanolic and water extracts of stem bark
from Jatropha curcas L. possesses the invitro
antimicrobial activity against S.aureus, P.aeruginosa,
E.coli, S.faecalis and other microbes32.
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Antidiabetic activity
Antihyperglycemic effect of 50% ethanolic extract of
leaves of Jatropha curcas L. was studied in normal and
alloxan induced diabetic rats33.
Anti-inflammatory activity
The methanol extract exhibited systemic and significant
anti-inflammatory activity in acute carrageenan-induced
rat paw edema. It also showed activity against formalin-
induced rat paw edema, as well as, turpentine-induced
exudative changes and cotton pellet-induced granular
tissue formation in mice and rats34.
Pregnancy terminating effect
Foetal resorption was observed with methanol, petroleum
ether and dichloromethane extracts indicating the
abortifacient properties of the fruit in rats. It suggested
that the interruption of pregnancy occurred at an early
stage after implantation35.
Antiulcer activity
Methanolic extract of Jatropha curcas L. showed the
antiulcer activity using aspirin induced gastric lesions in
wister rats36.
Anthelmintic activity
Aqueous extract of leaves have anthelmintic activity
against Pheretima Poshtuma37.
Antifungal Activities
The ethanolic extract of Jatropha curcas L. seed cake
showed antifungal activities against important fungal
phytopathogens: Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium
aphanidermatum, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Curvularia
lunata, Fusarium semitectum, Colletotrichum capsici,
and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The extract
contained phorbol esters mainly responsible for
antifungal activities38.
Toxicity of seed oil
Seed oil is used against Callosobruchis maculates
insects, parasites, Dinarnusbaralis39.
Nickel toxicity
Nickel toxicity induced in Jatropha curcas L. has shown
a correlation between responses of antioxidant enzymes
as well as PAL activities and nickel concentration in J.
curcas cotyledons. The low nickel conc. and higher
superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase
(CAT) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL)
activities suggested the tolerance capacity of plant which
protects it from oxidative damage.
Allelopathic effect of Jatropha curcas on marigold
(Tagetes erecta L.)
Leaf leachates of Jatropha curcas L. in the soil
significantly inhibited the shoot and root length of
marigold compared to unamended soils. The leaf
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leachates increased the RMP and proline content in the
roots of marigold seedlings.
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
The Jatropha industry is at a very early stage of
development. There are areas in the world where interest
in the plant is especially strong, such as Central America
where it was originated, and Mali, where it is widely
grown as a live hedge and a lot of research has been done
on biodiesel derived from it. Jatropha is one among
many oil seeds that can be used to produce biodiesel,
soap and fertilizer. Knowledge of physical properties and
their dependence on moisture content of Jatropha seed is
essential to improve the design of equipment for
harvesting, processing and storage of seeds. Currently,
growers are unable to achieve the optimum economic
benefits from the plant, especially for its various uses.
The markets of different products from this plant have
not been properly explored or quantified. It is examine
the potential role that Jatropha can play in meeting some
of the needs for energy services for rural communities
and also creating avenues for greater employment.
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Table 1: Uses of different parts of J. curcas L. in medicines15-19
Plant part Uses
used
Seeds To treat arthritis, gout, jaundice & as contraceptives
Nuts Contraceptive
Bark As fish poison
Latex To inhibit watermelon mosaic virus
Shrub Hepatoprotective and antiobesity
Tender Toothache, gum inflammation, gum bleeding,
twig/stem pyorrhoea
Plant sap Dermatomucosal diseases
Plant extract Allergies, burns, cuts and wounds, inflammation,
leprosy, leucoderma, scabies and small pox
Water extract HIV, tumor
of branches
Plant extract Wound healing
Table 2: Chemical composition of different parts of Jatropha curcas21-26
Various parts Chemical composition
Aerial parts Organic acids (o and p-coumaric acid, p-OH-benzoic acid,
protocatechuic acid, resorsilic acid), saponins and
tannins29
Stembark Amyrin, sitosterol and taraxerol30
Leaves Cyclic triterpenes stigmasterol, stigmast-5-en-3, 7 diol,
stigmast-5-en-3,7 diol, cholest-5-en-3,7 diol, campesterol,
sitosterol, 7-keto--sitosterol as well as the d-glucoside of
sitosterol. Flavonoids apigenin, vitexin, isovitexin. Leaves
also contain the dimer of a triterpene alcohol (C63H117O9)
and two flavonoidal glycosides30,31,32
Latex Curcacycline A, a cyclic octapeptide Curcain (a
protease)33
Seeds Curcin, a lectin Phorbolesters Esterases (JEA) and Lipase
(JEB)
Kernal and Phytates, saponins and a trypsine inhibitor34
press cake
Roots Sitosterol and its d-glucoside, marmesin, propacin, the
curculathyranes A and B and the curcusones A–D.
diterpenoids jatrophol and jatropholone A and B, the
coumarin tomentin, the coumarino-lignan jatrophin as
well as taraxerol35,36
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Figure 1: Jatropha curcas plant

Figure 2: Important parts of the Jatropha curcas: a- flowering branch; b- bark; c- leaf veinature; d-
pistillate flower; e- staminate flower; f- cross cut of immature fruit; g- fruits; h- longitudinal cut of fruits

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