The Euphorbiaceae family includes Jatropha curcas L., a tree with the greatest potential for producing biofuel. A perennial, drought-resistant, and extremely adaptable plant, it is gaining prominence in the biodiesel industry. Ratanjyot, Nutmeg plant, Barbados nut, and Physic nut are some of its more well-known names. Jatropha trees grow 3 to 6 meters tall, with heart-shaped green leaves, smooth, grey bark, and latex. A huge shrub or small tree known as Jatropha curcas L. produces seeds containing inedible oil. Jatropha curcas, a tropical plant, can be cultivated as a commercial crop or on farms in areas with varying precipitation levels, ranging from low to high. Plants can be grown as a crop or as a border hedge to keep grazing animals away from crops and minimize soil erosion. Jatropha leaves, seeds, and bark have been used medicinally since ancient times, treating constipation, anthelmintic difficulties, and stomach illnesses. Many different secondary metabolites were discovered when physio-chemists studied the extracts and latex, such as alkaloids, saponins, curcin, curcusones-B, curcain, lectin, curcacycline A, phorbol acetate, tannins, steroids, etc. The J. curcas plant is used in various ways, including replacing fossil fuel diesel for domestic purposes, soap production, and raw materials for dye. Due to their Antiviral, Anticancer, Antidiarrheal, larvicidal and insecticidal activities are currently receiving a lot of interest. It is a versatile tree species suitable for agroforestry and other afforestation programs. Exploration has been conducted into plant potential utilization for diverse purposes
Jatropha curcas, ratanjyot, phytochemicals, biodiesel, oil
Abdelgadir, H. A., & Van Staden, J. (2013). Ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology and toxicity of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae): A review. South African Journal of Botany, 88, 204-218.
Abhilash, P. C., Srivastava, P., Jamil, S., & Singh, N. (2011). Revisited Jatropha curcas as an oil plant of multiple benefits: critical research needs and prospects for the future. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 18, 127-131.
Asseleih, L. C., Plumbley, R. A., & Hylands, P. J. (1989). Purification and partial characterization of a hemagglutinin from seeds of Jatropha curcas. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 13(1), 1-20.
Benge, M. (2006). Assessment of the potential of Jatropha curcas, (biodiesel tree,) for energy production and other uses in developing countries. USAID report.
Borah, P. K., Gogoi, P., Phukan, A. C., & Mahanta, J. (2006). Traditional medicine in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in Upper Assam.
Carrasco Rueda, J. M., Fartolino Guerrero, A., Sánchez Chávez, Á., Lujan Reyes, J., Pachas Quiroz, A., Castilla Candela, L. D. C., ... & Salazar Granara, A. (2013). Efecto sobre la motilidad intestinal del extracto de alcaloides de semilla de Jatropha curcas L. Revista Cubana de Plantas Medicinales, 18(1), 84-91.
Cavalcante, N. B., da Conceição Santos, A. D., & da Silva Almeida, J. R. G. (2020). The genus Jatropha (Euphorbiaceae): A review on secondary chemical metabolites and biological aspects. Chemico-biological interactions, 318, 108976.
Che Hamzah, N. H., Khairuddin, N., Siddique, B. M., & Hassan, M. A. (2020). Potential of Jatropha curcas L. as biodiesel feedstock in Malaysia: A concise review. Processes, 8(7), 786.
da Silva, C. E., Minguzzi, S., da Silva, R. C., Matos, M. F., Tofoli, D., Carvalho, J. E. D., ... & Simionatto, E. (2015). Chemical composition and cytotoxic activity of the root essential oil from Jatropha ribifolia (Pohl) Baill (Euphorbiaceae). Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, 26, 233-238.
Divakara, B. N., Upadhyaya, H. D., Wani, S. P., & Gowda, C. L. (2010). Biology and genetic improvement of Jatropha curcas L.: a review. Applied Energy, 87(3), 732-742.
Fairless, D. (2007). Biofuel: The little shrub that could — maybe. Nature, 449, 652–655.
Foidl, N., Foidl, G., Sanchez, M., Mittelbach, M., & Hackel, S. (1996). Jatropha curcas L. as a source for the production of biofuel in Nicaragua. Bioresource technology, 58(1), 77-82.
Fresnedo-Ramírez, J., & Orozco-Ramírez, Q. (2013). Diversity and distribution of genus Jatropha in Mexico. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 60(3), 1087-1104.
Gbolade, A. A. (2009). Inventory of antidiabetic plants in selected districts of Lagos State, Nigeria. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 121(1), 135-139.
Gudeta, T. B. (2016). Chemical composition, bio-diesel potential and uses of Jatropha curcas L.(Euphorbiaceae). American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 4(2), 35-48.
Heller, J. (1996). Physic nut, Jatropha curcas L (Vol. 1). Bioversity International.
Hufford, C. D., & Oguntimein, B. O. (1978). Non-polar constituents of Jatropha curcas.
Islam, A. K. M. A., Yaakob, Z., & Anuar, N. (2011). Jatropha: A multipurpose plant with considerable potential for the tropics. Sci Res Essays, 6(13), 2597-2605.
Iwu, M.M. (1993) Handbook of African Medicinal Plants. CRC Press, London, 183-184.
Jain, S. K., & Srivastava, S. (2005). Traditional uses of some Indian plants among islanders of the Indian Ocean, 4(4), 345–357.
Kumar, A., & Tewari, S. K. (2015). Origin, distribution, ethnobotany and pharmacology of Jatropha curcas. Research Journal of Medicinal Plant, 9(2), 48-59.
Lahiri, A., Mukherjee, A., Gupta, J. K., & Hossain, E. (2016). A comparative review on the biological parameters of two species of jatropha.
Mahyoub, J. A., Almehmadi, R., Abukhammas, A. H., Althbyani, A., & Al-Shami, S. (2015). The effect of some plant extracts on mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.). Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia, 11(3), 1797–1805.
Mitra, C. R., Bhatnagar, S. C., & Sinha, M. K. (1970). Chemical examination of Jatropha curcas. Indian Journal of Chemistry, 8.
Mofijur, M., Masjuki, H. H., Kalam, M. A., Hazrat, M. A., Liaquat, A. M., Shahabuddin, M., & Varman, M. (2012). Prospects of biodiesel from Jatropha in Malaysia. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 16(7), 5007-5020.
Muanza, D. N., Euler, K. L., Williams, L., & Newman, D. J. (1995). Screening for antitumor and anti-HIV activities of nine medicinal plants from Zaire. International Journal of Pharmacognosy, 33(2), 98–106.
Ong, H. C., Mahlia, T. M. I., Masjuki, H. H., & Norhasyima, R. S. (2011). Comparison of palm oil, Jatropha curcas and Calophyllum inophyllum for biodiesel: a review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15(8), 3501-3515.
Oskoueian, E., Abdullah, N., Saad, W. Z., Omar, A. R., Ahmad, S., Kuan, W. B., ... & Ho, Y. W. (2011). Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of methanolic extracts from Jatropha curcas Linn. J. Med. Plants Res, 5(1), 49-57.
Patel, C., Chandra, K., Hwang, J., Agarwal, R. A., Gupta, N., Bae, C., ... & Agarwal, A. K. (2019). Comparative compression ignition engine performance, combustion, and emission characteristics, and trace metals in particulates from Waste cooking oil, Jatropha and Karanja oil derived biodiesels. Fuel, 236, 1366-1376.
Patil, D., Roy, S., Dahake, R., Rajopadhye, S., Kothari, S., Deshmukh, R., & Chowdhary, A. (2013). Evaluation of Jatropha curcas Linn. leaf extracts for its cytotoxicity and potential to inhibit hemagglutinin protein of influenza virus. Indian Journal of Virology, 24(2), 220-226.
Pramanik, K. (2003). Properties and use of Jatropha curcas oil and diesel fuel blends in compression ignition engine. Renewable energy, 28(2), 239-248.
Prasad, D. R., Izam, A., & Khan, M. M. R. (2012). Jatropha curcas: Plant of medical benefits. Journal of medicinal plants research, 6(14), 2691-2699.
Rajendran, K., Balaji, P., & Basu, M. J. (2008). Medicinal plants and their utilization by villagers in southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 7(3), 417-420.
Ramos, M. J., Fernández, C. M., Casas, A., Rodríguez, L., & Pérez, Á. (2009). Influence of fatty acid composition of raw materials on biodiesel properties. Bioresource technology, 100(1), 261-268.
Rampadarath, S., Puchooa, D., & Jeewon, R. (2016). Jatropha curcas L: Phytochemical, antimicrobial and larvicidal properties. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 6(10), 858-865.
Rathee, P., Chaudhary, H., Rathee, S., Rathee, D., Kumar, V., & Kohli, K. (2009). Mechanism of action of flavonoids as anti-inflammatory agents: a review. Inflammation & Allergy-Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets-Inflammation & Allergy)(Discontinued), 8(3), 229-235.
Saadaoui, E., Tlili, N., Ghazel, N., Romdhane, C. B., Abdelkebir, S., Grira, M., & Khouja, M. L. (2015). Growth and seed yield of Jatropha curcas L. cultivated in arid region of Tunisia. In R. M. Jingura & R. Kamusoko (Eds.), Promoting multiple uses of Jatropha for pro-poor development (pp. 1793–1804).
Sarabia, J. B. F., Calalas, A. G. S., Gregorio, J. P., Maceren, J. I. G., Padayhag, W. R. L., & Faller, E. M. (2022). A review on the medicinal uses and toxicological effects of herbal plant Jatropha curcas L. Journal homepage: www. ijrpr. com ISSN, 3(5), 3389-3408.
See, G. L. L., Perez, S., Tiongson, D., Arce Jr, F. V., & Deliman, Y. C. (2016). Acute and chronic toxicity studies of Tuba-tuba Jatropha curcas L.(1753) leaf extract on albino rats (Rattus norvegicus). Int. J. Pharmacogn. Pharm. Res., 8(7), 1154-1159.
Sharma, S., Dhamija, H. K., & Parashar, B. (2012). Jatropha curcas: a review. Asian Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Science, 2(3), 107-111.
Silitonga, A. S., Atabani, A. E., Mahlia, T. M. I., Masjuki, H. H., Badruddin, I. A., & Mekhilef, S. (2011). A review on prospect of Jatropha curcas for biodiesel in Indonesia. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15(8), 3733-3756.
Thomas, R., Sah, N. K., & Sharma, P. (2008). Therapeutic biology of Jatropha curcas: a mini review. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology, 9(4), 315-324.
Tomomatsu, Y., & Swallow, B. (2007). Jatropha curcas biodiesel production in Kenya: economics and potential value chain development for smallholder farmers (No. b15396).
Valdez-Ramirez, A., Flores-Macias, A., Figueroa-Brito, R., Torre-Hernandez, M. E. D. L., Ramos-Lopez, M. A., Beltran-Ontiveros, S. A., ... & Diaz, D. (2023). A systematic review of the bioactivity of Jatropha curcas L.(Euphorbiaceae) extracts in the control of insect pests. Sustainability, 15(15), 11637.
Van den Berg, A. J. J., Horsten, S. F. A. J., Kettenes-Van Den Bosch, J. J., Kroes, B. H., Beukelman, C. J., Leeflang, B. R., & Labadie, R. P. (1995). Curcacycline A—a novel cyclic octapeptide isolated from the latex of Jatropha curcas L. Febs Letters, 358(3), 215-218.
Van Eijck, J., Smeets, E., & Faaij, A. (2011). Jatropha: A Promising Crop for Africa’s Biofuel Production?. In Bioenergy for sustainable development in Africa (pp. 27-40). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Verma, S., & Chauhan, N. S. (2007). Indigenous medicinal plants knowledge of Kunihar forest division, district Solan. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 6(3), 494-497.
