Applied Science Reports App. Sci. Rep.

www.pscipub.com/ASR 1 (2), 2013: 36-39

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Health and environmental benefits of jatropha curcas linn.

1
Agbogidi, O.M., 2Akparobi, S.O. and 1Eruotor, P.G.
1. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science,
2. Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
Corresponding author Email: omagbogidi@yahoo.com

Keywords ABSTRACT
An attempt has been made to review the health and environmental benefits
Jatropha curcas of physics nut (Jatropha curcas Linn.). it is established different parts of
this biodiesel producing plant including the leaves, the oil, sap, stem, roots
health values and bark have numerous health benefits including skin injections, antidote
for snake bites, leprosy and rheumatism, treatment of tooth ache and
environmental benefits muscular pains, pile, fever, jaundice, gonorrhea, constipation, heart burn
and as purgative as well as contraceptive principle. It is also maintained
rural development that J. curcas has anti-malarial, insecticidal, anti-cancerous and anti-tumor
properties. 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 re anchoring 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. The health and environmental benefits of
this multipurpose plant need to harness to better the lots of Nigeria rural
populace.
© 2013 PSCI Publisher All rights reserved.

Introduction
Jatropha curcas L. (physic nut) is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. It is a native to the
American tropics mostly likely Mexico and Central America (Balick and Paul, 2000;. It is called Lapalapa by the Yorubas,
Cinidazugu by the Hausas, olulu-idu/uru by the Igbos, omangba by the Iyedes in Benue State and Itiakpa by the Urhobos in
Delta State and biodiesel fuel plant commonly. It is now widely cultivated in both tropical and sub-tropical regions around the
world (Duke and Edward, 1985; Agbogidi et al., 2013). It produces flowers and fruits throughout the year. The seeds contain
between 27 and 40 % oil which can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel fuel useable in a standard diesel engine
(Kumar et al., 2008). Besides biodiesel production, J. curcas has numerous other uses because it is a multipurpose plant.
Among these other benefits are health and environmental values. The present study is an attempt by the authors to emphasize
the health and environmental benefits of this God’s given species with a view to highlighting these values as it helps to reduce
the rate of environmental degradation and maintenance of rural health care.

Health benefits of Jatropha curcas

Jatropha curcas has been reported to have a lot of health benefits because of its wide range of medicinal uses (Bialey
and Doys, 2001). The name Jatropha curcas meaning (Doctor’s nutrient) was related to its numerous medicinal uses. The
medicinal uses of this species range from external, internal and even teeth (Agbogidi and Ekeke, 2011). Different parts of the
plant including the leaves, fruits, latex and bark contains glycosides, tannins, phytosterol, flavonoids and steroidal sapogenins
that exhibits wide range of medicinal properties ( Duke, 1994; Edeoga et al., 2005; Agbogidi and Eruotor, 2012). Flavonoids
are phenolic compounds that are involved in plant-plant interaction (allelopathy, inhibition of germination and growth) while
glycosides are synthesized for amino acids.

External medicinal uses

i. Leaves
The leaves are regarded as antiparasitic, applied to scabies, rubefacient for paralysis, rheumatism and also applied to
hard tumor (Duke et al., 2002; Aliyu, 2006). The sap from the leaves can be used on bee or wasp sting. The leaves, when
 App. Sci. Rep. 1 (2), 2013: 36-39

pounded can be applied on the eye of a horse to scare flies from it especially in India. The leaves contain apigenin, vitexin and
ansovitexin which when combined with other factors enable them to be used against muscular pains (El-Ekanali, 2010;
Agbogidi and Ekeke, 2011).

ii. The oil

The oil from J. curcas seeds is used in helping with rashes and parasitic skin diseases (Okolie et al., 2007). When the
oil is mixed with benzyl benzoate, it becomes effective against scabies and dermatitis (Priminick, 2002). The oil from the seed
can also be applied to soothe rheumatic pain. Jatropha kernel oil together with about 36% linoleic acid is a possible interest for
skin care industry. The use of the oil may cause premature abortions (Kurian, 2010; Nayak and Patel, 2010).

iii. The sap

The sap from the bark is used to dress bleeding wound and ulcer and can also be used to stop bleeding. The sap from
the leaves is also used as an application for the treatment of pile. The latex is also applied topically to bee and wasp stings, boils
and sores. The latex is also used to treat tooth ache, ringworm. Latex is use to dress sores, ulcers and inflamed tongues (Iwu,
1993; Jongschaap et al., 2007).

Internal medicinal uses of J. curcas

i. Stem
Stems of young leaves have been used to successfully treat urinary infections. The tender twig can also be used as a
tooth brush to clean the teeth (Gill, 1992; Hasfort, 2000).

ii. The roots

The roots are used to make an antidote for snake bites (Oliver, 2006). The roots are used in decoction as mouth wash
for bleeding gums and tooth ache as well as for eczema, scabies and ringworm.

iii. The bark

Tea from the bark of J. curcas is given to people with leprosy and rheumatism.

iv. The leaves

Making a compress from the leaves and placing it on the sore tooth will help relieve pains (Rejore and Batra, 2003).
Sap from the leaves can also be rubbed on to the gum of babies to aid with teething. The tea from the leaves could help with the
reduction of fever and help with jaundice and gonorrhea. Other internal uses include the following:
The fruits and seeds of J. curcas contain a contraceptive principle.
For homicides, pesticide, regicide and extracts are used in folk remedies for cancer (Aliyu, 2006). Aliyu (2006) further
reported that J. curcas is abortifaceous, anodyne, antiseptic, cicatrizant, depurative, diuretic, hemostat, lactagogue, narcotic,
purgative and rubefacient. Other ethnomedicinal uses of J. curcas include stryptic, vermifuge and vulnerary. It has also been
reported as a folk remedy for alopecia, anasorea, ascites, burns, carbuncles, convulsions, cough, dermatitis, diarrhea, dropsy,
dysentery, dyspepsia, eczema, fever, erysipelas, jaundice, paralysis, rashes, rheumatism, yellow fever, tetanus, ulcer, stomach
ache, sores, heart burns, thrush, uterosis, whitlows and yaws. The plant is rich in many photochemical including xylose (seeds),
vitex (bark), sovitexin (leaf), and curcusones (whole plant) (Osemene et al., 2013).
The seeds are also used as asperiant. The seed oil is emetic, laxative, purgative and for skin ailments.
- Seeds when chewed abated constipation.
- The ashes are used as salt substitute.
- It is used to strengthen gum and as a treatment of sore in the tongue (Kurian, 2010).
- It is used as a purgative to empty the system.
- The latex from J. curcas inhibits the water melon mosaic virus.
- In Barcelona, people boil the leaves and drink the decoction to relieve heart burn.
The plant is used as a natural pesticide because of its toxicity (Makkar et al., 2001). The milking sap is used for the
treatment of dermatomucosal diseases. An alkaloid known as jatrophine is believed to have anti-cancerous properties. The
seeds are also used as insecticides. Jatropha has also been known to display certain anti-tumor properties, anti-malaria
properties and studies are also advancing in area of HIV/AIDS and urine system response enhancement. The seeds of J. curcas
are grounded with palm oil and used as rat poison. An aqueous extract of the leaves has insecticidal properties and the leaves
are also used in fumigating houses against bed bug. Similarly, ether extracts of J. curcas shows antibiotic activities against
Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

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Environmental benefits of J. curcas

a. A potential for enrichment of soil
Jatropha oil cake is rich in nitrogen (6%), phosphate (2.75%) and potassium (0.94%) and this can be used as organic
manure (Agbigidi et al., 2013). The oil can also be used to replace synthetic fertilizers by undertaking plantations of J. curcas
in waste lands (Agbogidi et al., 2013b). The leaves and branches are used as manure for coconut trees and to provide plant with
organic matter thereby increasing microbial activities that help in decomposition. J. curcas removes carbon from the
atmosphere (carbon sequestration), store it in the woody tissues and assist in the building of soil carbon (Agbogidi and Ekeke,
2011). The medicinal value of plants has bioactive phytochemicals constituents that produce definite physiological actions on
human bodies (Maikhube, 2006). Phytochemicals could be primary and secondary constituents including common sugars,
amino acids, proteins alkaloids terpenoids and phenolic compounds (Sofowora, 1993; Ekka, 2012).

b. Land reformation
The plant also has the potential of retaining marginal and degraded soil by re-anchoring the soil with its substantial
roof and reducing possibility of erosion (Agbogidi and Ekeke, 2011). With tan increasing in the planting of Jatropha species,
there could be substitution of fire wood by plant for household cooking of rural areas to reduce the current rate of deforestation
as well as promoting the health of rural women subjected to indoor surface pollution from cooking by insufficient fuel. The use
of Jatropha curcas oil as bioenergy to replace petrol, diesel, will protect the environment. Jatropha curcas hedges act as soil
erosion control strategies (Agbogidi et al., 2013). Industrialist, miners and environmentalists and others who are well
knowledge on the disastrous impact from the deposition from spilled oil, sludge, heavy metals and the limit to fossil fuel supply
have subscribed to the harnessing of natural remediating by Jatropha curcas hence many countries have shown great interest
on the cultivation of this species for bioremediation purposes. Jatropha curcas remediation of heavy metals, hydrocarbon
contaminated soils. Studies have showed that J. curcas could remediate soils contaminated with heavy metals and hydrocarbon
(Kumar et al., 2008; Agbogidi and Eruotor, 2012; Agbogidi et al., 2013b) hence Jones and Miller (2003) reported that Jatropha
curcas is a multipurpose species for problematic sites.

Other uses of J. curcas

Other uses of J. curcas include: as dye,
- Irritant
- Memory enhancer
- Sedative
- Soap
- Sweetners
- Antifertility
- Antibacterial
- Anti HIV
- Antidiabetic
- Antidote
- Absorbent
- Anti arthritis
- Antitumor promoter

Conclusion
The health and environmental benefits of Jatropha curcas have been reviewed. The need for its large scale production
in rural areas in the tropics and Nigeria specifically cannot be underscored to reap not only medicinal and environmental
dividends, but also to harness its other numerous 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.

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