JATROPHA CURCAS

Common name: Physic Nut, Jatropha, Barbados nut • Hindi: जमाल घोटा Jamal ghota, रतनजोत Ratanjot, जंगली अरंडी Jangli arandi • Manipuri: Awa kege • Marathi: Mogli Erand, Maraharalu •Tamil: Kattukkotai • Malayalam: Kattamank, Katalavanakku • Telugu: Nepalam, Adavi amudam •Kannada: Kananeranda • Bengali: Bagbherenda, Bherenda, Sada verenda • Oriya: Jahazigaba, Dhalajahaji • Konkani: Mogli erandi • Assamese: Salika kund, Bongali-botora, Bongali era • Gujarati: Radau-khurung, Jamalgota • Sanskrit: Darvanti • Mizo: Kangdamdawi, Thingthau

Botanical name: Jatropha curcas  

Family: Euphorbiaceae (Castor family)

Introduction: Physic nut is a perennial poisonous shrub, up to 5 m high. It is an uncultivated non-food wild-species. The plant, originating in Central America, whereas it has been spread to other tropical and subtropical countries as well and is mainly grown in Asia and in Africa. It is used as a living fence to protect gardens and fields from animals. The plant sports large green to pale-green leaves, 8-15 cm, broadly ovate, cordate, shallowly 3 lobed, petioles around 5-15 cm. The inflorescence is formed in the leaf axel; flowers are formed terminally, individually, with female flowers usually slightly larger. Flowers greenish yellow. Fruits 3 to 4cm, globuse, yellowish green. Jatropha Curcas seed can be used as Bio diesel for any diesel engine without modification. 

Chemical Constituents:

Jatropha curcas oil contains about 14% free fatty acid (FFA) which is beyond the limit of 1% level which can be efficiently converted into biodiesel by trans-esterification using an alkaline catalyst (Tiwari et al., 2007). The fatty acids that were reported in a previous study of J. curcas oil are palmitc acid (11.3%), stearic acid (17%), arachidic acid (4.7%), oleic acid (12.8%), and linoleic acid (47.3%) (Adebowale and Adedire, 2006). All parts of J. curcas can be used for a wide range of purposes, the tree itself has been used for erosion control, fire wood, hedge plant and for plant protection, also the bark is rich in tannin and yields a dark blue dye (Gubitz et al., 1999; Openshaw, 2000; Augustus et al., 2002). Investigations on the phytochemical screening of J.curcas stem bark and leaf extracts revealed the presence of saponins,
Medicinal uses:  The leaves, seeds and oil of Dravanti is used to treat ulcer, tumour, scabies, wound, haemorrhoid, wound, splenomegaly, skin diseases, rheumatism and paralysis. Paste of dravanti, applied on wounds to clean to promote quick healing. Seeds are severe purgative.

Environmental benefits 

A potential for enrichment of soil, Land reformation

Environmentally, J. curcas has great potential for soil enrichment, can replace synthetic fertilizers as the leaves and branches are used as manure for coconut trees. It contributes to carbon sequestration thereby aiding in the mitigation of climate change. It also has the potential of retaining marginal and degraded soil by reanchoring the soil with substantial roof and reducing possibility of soil erosion. The study also established that J. curcas has the potential of remediating heavy metal and hydrocarbon contaminated soils.

Other  uses

In the industry, biodiesel production or green fuel production, management of climate change, feed resources and animal nutrition, germplasm diversity, rural sociology and finally, national development.