Vyaghra erand

Botanical Name: Jatropha curcas Linn.

Family : Euphorbiaceae

Identification no: SDACH/HG/237

Introduction :

It is used as purgative, its strength milder than Croton tiglium oil.

Names in different Indian languages :

English: Physic Nut, Purging Nut

Hindi: Jungle errand, pahari errand

Kannada: Belioudalu, doddaharalu,

Malayalam: Katalavanakku, kammatti, kattavanakku

Sanskrit: Dravanti

Tamil: Kattu Amanaku, kattukottai

Telugu: Adavi amudamu

Folk: Bagharenda

Synonyms :

Vyaaghrairanda , Sthula-eranda, Kaanan-eranda.

Morphology :

Soft wooded shrub, grows 2-3 m height.

Leaves – simple, alternate, long petiole, leaf are roughly 5 lobe projected.

Flower – yellowish

Fruit – black, 3 lobed

Distribution & Habitat :

All over India

Chemical constituents :

Curcin, curcosones, lathyrane diterpenes

Properties :

RASA- kashay, madhura

GUNA-guru

VIRYA-sita

VIPAKA-madhur

Karma : vrishya, premeha hara, rasayani, krimighna

Toxic (Seed) , purgative, narcotic

Indication :

Grahani, krimi, pandu, hridroga, premeha

scabies, ringworm, eczema, whitlow, warts, syphilis, piles, gout, snake bite

Part used :

Root, leaves, seed , seed oil

Dosage :

2-4 g powder

Amayika Prayoga/Therapeutic Uses

External:

The main purpose for Jatropha in current decades is produce biofuel or biodiesel from seeds, The press cake of jatropha seeds considered biomass feedstock to produce energy or biogas

 Internal:

Purgative, Seeds useful in constipation

Part used: Root, leaves, seed, seed oil

Dose: 2-4 g powder

Yoga/Formulations: oil, patra kwath

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Research updates

  1. A survey on plant species from the Mexican flora revealed that J. curcas is one of the species that is used for cancer treatments in Mexico (Alonso-Castro et al., 2011). Diterpenes are the major secondary metabolites synthesized by J. curcas. These compounds are proven to be cytotoxic and tumor-inhibitors (Devappa et al., 2011). The anticancer activities of different extracts from J. curcas
  2. Jatropha curcas L. is a tropical and subtropical drought-resistant shrub that has been getting a lot of attention lately as a potential biodiesel plant. It has long been used as lamp oil and for producing soap. Its oil content is 34%; it is rich in oleic (42%), linoleic (35%), palmitic (14%), and stearic (6%) acids. The plant contains several toxic compounds such as lectin, saponin, carcinogenic phorbol, and a trypsin inhibitor. The plant requires the elaborative breeding and genetic engineering techniques to improve its oil quality for increasing yield, stability, and reducing levels of toxic compounds. Limitations for improving traits by breeding include a lack of knowledge of the genetic base, poor yield, low genetic diversity, and vulnerability to a wide array of insects and diseases.

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