Biodiesel consists of monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids. It is produced from vegetable oils or fats either by chemical transesterification with methanol or ethanol. The cost of lipases and the relatively slower reaction rate remain as the major obstacles for enzymatic production of biodiesel as opposed to the conventional chemical processes. The enzymatic process offers several advanta...

A new approach to anti-viral therapy in recent years has been relying on the modeling and docking processes in the quest of novel inhibitors. Curcurin, an ribosome-inactivating protein, from Jatropha curcas Linn. (Euphorbiaceae), a herbal plant that has been used in traditional folk medicine in many tropical countries, was investigated against 2 proteins of Pandemic Influenza H1N1/2009. Althoug...

The analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the methanolic extract of the leaves of Jatropha curcas were investigated in mice and rats respectively. The phytochemical screening of the extract was also carried out. The analgesic effect was determined by acetic acid – induced writhing test in mice. While the antiinflammatory activity was determined by egg albumin – induced oedema of the rat pa...

An ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method was developed for the efficient extraction of natural antioxidants from the flowers of Jatropha integerrima. Four independent variables, including ethanol concentration, solvent/material ratio, ultrasound irradiation time and temperature were studied by single factor experiments. Then, the central composite rotatable design and response surface met...

Jatropha is a species with great potential for biodiesel production, and the knowledge on how the main agronomic traits are correlated will contribute to its improvement. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to estimate the genetic parameters of the traits: plant height at 12 and 40 months, canopy projection on the row at 12 and 40 months, canopy projection between the row at 12 and 40 ...

The revolution in industrialization throughout the world has boosted the utilization of machinery and shifted the muscle power to machines. The use of machines in various sectors has increased the demand of petroleum based lubricants. Lubricants act as an antifriction media, facilitating smoother working, reducing the risks of undesirable frequent failures and maintaining reliable machine opera...

The J. curcas is considered as a biofuel plant, but the leaves are traditionally used as an antiinflammatory and anticoagulant. In present investigation, the detailed pharmacognostic study of J. curcas leaf is carried out to lay down the standards which could be useful in future experimental studies. The study includes macroscopy, microscopy, preliminary phytochemical screening and physicochemi...

Gradual depletion of the world petroleum reserves and the impact of environmental pollution highlight the importance of developing alternative energy resources such as plant biomass. To address these issues, intensive research has focused on the plant Jatropha curcas, which serves as a rich source of biodiesel because of its high seed oil content. However, producing biodiesel from Jatropha gene...

Jatropha curcas L. is one of the most promising oilseeds for biodiesel and biokerosene production, but few basic studies or breeding programs have been conducted for the species. We estimated genetic parameters and diversity based on 10 yield traits in 77 half-sib progenies of J. curcas after 52 months in the field, and evaluated correlations between them and the oil content of the seeds. The m...