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A good understanding of a medicinal plant is based on fundamental knowledge of its chemical constituents and their pharmacological effects. The non-alkaloids constituents isolated from Uncaria species have been increasingly investigated recently. The anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties have been studied in many non-alkaloids constituents isolated from Uncaria species. This paper emphasizes the phytochemical and chemotaxonomic analyses of non-alkaloid constituents isolated from fifteen Uncaria species. Their structural activity-relationships have also been discussed.

A yield of 26.88% of seed oil was obtained from Jatrophacurcas cultivated in Rwanda. Within 2 hours of reaction, the methyl ester (Biodiesel) was produced at a yield of 85.3% from obtained oil through direct base-catalysed trans-esterification process using methanol and sodium hydroxide as alcohol and catalyst. The proportion of 0.6g of NaOH in 20mL of methanol with 100 mL of Jatropha oil was the best ratio for making the biodiesel. The biodiesel obtained had 85.03% of ester content, 0.878 and 7.891Centistokes (at 20 0 C) of specific gravity and viscosity respectively. The other physico-chemical properties were also characterized.

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