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.