Therapeutic Biology of Jatropha curcas: A Mini Review

Abstract

Jatropha curcas is a drought resistant, perennial plant that grows even in the marginal and poor soil. Raising Jatropha is easy. It keeps producing seeds for many years. In the recent years, Jatropha has become famous primarily for the production of biodiesel; besides this it has several medicinal applications, too. Most parts of this plant are used for the treatment of various human and veterinary ailments. The white latex serves as a disinfectant in mouth infections in children. The latex of Jatropha contains alkaloids including Jatrophine, Jatropham and curcain with anti-cancerous properties. It is also used externally against skin diseases, piles and sores among the domestic livestock. The leaves contain apigenin, vitexin and isovitexin etc. which along with other factors enable them to be used against malaria, rheumatic and muscular pains. Antibiotic activity of Jatropha has been observed against organisms including Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. There are some chemical compounds including curcin (an alkaloid) in its seeds that make it unfit for common human consumption. The roots are known to contain an antidote against snake venom. The root extract also helps to check bleeding from gums. The soap prepared from Jatropha oil is efficient against buttons. Many of these traditional medicinal properties of Jatropha curcas need to be investigated in depth for the marketable therapeutic products vis-à-vis the toxicological effects thereof. This mini review aims at providing brief biological significance of this plant along with its up-to-date therapeutic applications and risk factors.

Larvicidal effects of <i>Jatropha curcas</i> L. against <i>Anopheles arabiensis</i> (Diptera: Culicidea)

“…It is also used externally against skin diseases, piles and sores among the domestic livestock. The leaves of J. curcas also contain apigenin, vitexin and isovitexin which along with other factors enable them to be used against malaria, rheumatic and muscular pains (Thomas et al, 2008). Antibiotic activity of Jatropha has been observed against organisms including Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (Matsuse et al, 1998).…”

Factors that influence in Jatropha curcas L. latex production

“…The pharmacological and physiological applicability of latex production remain largely unknown. Numerous studies are underway to elucidate the morphological, biochemical and agronomic aspects in order to maximize the potential of this species (Laviola et al, 2015;Bhering et al 2013;Veronesi et al 2012;Behera et al 2010), such as using latex as product with medicinal applications (Katagi et al 2016;Costa et al 2014;Thomas et al 2008).…”

“…In addition to popular use, studies have shown that physic nut latex exhibits anticoagulant activity (Osonlyi and Anajobi 2003). Moreover, phytochemical analyses demonstrate that the latex of this species contains natural components with cytotoxic potential, including curcacyclins A and B (Insanu et al 2012) and curcusomes A, B, C and D (Aiyelaagbe et al 2011); anticancerous compounds, such as the protein curcin (JaramilloQuintero et al 2015) and the alkaloids jatrophine and jatropham (Thomas et al 2008); and antibactericidal and antimalarial compounds, such as curcacyclins A and B and jatrophidin (Sabandar et al 2013). Thus, extraction of these latex biocompounds would add commercial value to this cultivar, which could be used to produce biodiesel and drugs.…”

Evaluation of Jatropha curcas Linn. leaf extracts for its cytotoxicity and potential to inhibit hemagglutinin protein of influenza virus

“…The white latex serves as a disinfectant in mouth infections in children. The leaves of J. curcas also contain apigenin, vitexin and isovitexin, which, along with other factors enable them to be used against malaria, rheumatic and muscular pains [18]. Antibiotic activity of Jatropha has been observed against organisms including S. aureus and E. coli [8].…”