Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
The leaf decoction is used as a lactagogue, rubefacient, and suppura-
tive. A mixture of the leaf decoction and lime juice is used for fevers and convulsions and as an
anthelmintic. The ash from the burnt leaf is applied to guinea worm sore, and it is believed to be
able to draw out the worm. An infusion of the young leaf shoots (at a dose of 2 cigarette tins, i.e., ca.
200 g three times a day) is used for most “urinary complaints”.
266
The stem and twigs are used to arrest bleeding and for toothache, eye inflammation, and wound
healing. The latex is used on carious teeth and to help children's teeth erupt.
7
The root decoction
is used for the treatment of gonorrhea. The powdered root bark is used as dressing for wounds and
sores. The latex is mixed with salt as a tooth cleanser and mouthwash.
266
An infusion of the root is
indicated for rheumatism, dyspepsia, diarrhea, and incontinence. The root pulp is mixed with xylo-
pia fruits for the treatment of dysentery.
The seed yields a strong purgative, “Pulza oil” or “Pinhen oil ” which is applied externally
in cases of itch and herpes and is also rubefacient. Roasted seeds are mixed with pepper and
shea butter for the treatment of guinea worm infestation. Preparations containing the seeds of
Jatropha
have been used for remedies for dropsy, gout, tumors, syphilis, and parasitic skin infes-
tation and as an abortifacient. Every part of the plant is used as an ingredient in the preparation
of a variety of other remedies. The seeds are considered poisonous, and their use as a purgative
has been abandoned.
Constituents —
The seeds contain 50% of a fixed oil and a mucilage, which consists of xylose,
galactose, rhamnose, and galacturonic acid, and a toxalbumin, curcin.
679
The shell has been found
to contain traces of glycosides. The nondrying fixed oil in the seed of
J. curcas
consists mainly of
glycerides of stearic, palmitic, myristic, oleanolic, and curcanoleic acid.
79
The flavonoids vitexin
and isovitexin have been isolated from
J. curcas
growing in India.
680
Cyanic acid has been detected
in the fruits, roots, and bark.
79
The stem of
J. podagrica
yields tetramethylprazine.
681
The genus
contains diterpenes.
Pharmacological Studies —
The purgative activity of the seeds and leaves has been inves-
tigated.
79,682
The purgative activity of the oil (0.3-0.6 ml) has been shown to be greater than that
of castor oil but less than the activity of croton oil.
683
The fruits and seed isolates possess contra-
ceptive activity.
684
The ethanol extract has shown activity against P388 lymphocytic leukemia.
685
The latex of
J. multifida
showed activity on human complement activation and on PMN leukocyte
activation.
686
The extract of
J. gossypiifolia
exhibited
in vitro
activity against
Plasmodium falci-
parum
.
687
Jatrophone, a diterpene isolated from
J. elliptica
at concentrations of 1-300 µM, caused
a concentration-dependent relaxation effect against acetylcholine (Ach)-oxytocin and KCl-induced
uterine sustained contraction.
688
The observed effect was not modified by phorbol ester, forskolin,
MIX, TMB-8, and W-7. The diterpenes from
J. curcas
have been found not to induce mutation in
Salmonella typhimurium
TA98 and TA100.
689
Toxicity —
Jatropha
is a very toxic plant and should be considered dangerous as a drug, espe-
cially if taken in fresh preparations without boiling. The seed contains curcin, a toxalbumin, and
an uncharacterized toxic protein.
Jatropha
poisoning is characterized by nausea, followed by acute
abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. These symptoms occur within 1 h of the ingestion of the
drug. Fatalities are rare except in very high doses, when depression, syncope, and coma may occur.
Cases of toxicity due to accidental ingestion of the plant by children are common. In one reported
case involving two children aged 3 and 5 years, the clinical syndrome observed included restless-
ness, severe vomiting, and dehydration.
690
In another case, eight children who accidentally ingested
the seeds of the plant also exhibited the same clinical syndrome of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea,
and five of the patients needed intravenous rehydration.
691
The seed oil has been shown to contain tumor promoters.
692
The diterpenes, mainly phorbol
esters found in oil, are believed to be responsible for the tumor-promoting activity.
693
The main use
of
Jatropha
currently is in the industrial production of biodiesel from the oil.
694
