The Mother Nature has actually offered us countless bounties … some we understand of and some that are still hidden in the deep mysteries waiting to be revealed and waiting to improve our lives. Among these bounties is Jatropha, the physic nut. It is one of the most popular herbs and the term jatropha curcas is in fact a “genus” covering some 175 plants together. The name comes from Greek words for Iatros indicating physician and trophe meaning nutrition. So physic nuts or jatropha curcas, from the kingdom plantae is being studied commonly for it can be put to many usages in our day-to-day lives.

To begin with, Jatropha is finding excellent approval all over the world as a bio-doesel. The Jatropha seeds can be crushed to get the oil and this can be used as a bio-fuel. The residues can be utilized as fertilizer or as a feed for electrical power generating plants. And this enables a sustainable development. Not just the seeds, however the plant as a whole is well matched to fulfill the growing environmental concerns. And why simply the bio-diesel, it can be utilized as aviation fuel, auto fuel and a host of other uses from other parts of the plants. The stems of this plant find usages in basket making, ornamental purposes, and tanning leather and getting dyes. The plant even discovers usage in medications for cough, balm ointments, toothpastes, cosmetics and is even utilized to produce excellent quality paper. The plant is, for that reason, being put to almost every imaginable usage possible.

Though it puts the worry of having an eco-friendly source of energy at hands to a back burner, yet it requires to be nurtured and cared for to enable a healthy plant development. And it has been observed that the jatropha curcas plants tax our water resources. So, they are grown in areas with a lot of rains. This cuts the problem on the water resources, permits water preservation and human effort too. Because the watering financial investment is only one time expenditure of time, money, effort and resources, it is being accepted as a sustainable choice .

But it is not all goodie - gift about the plant. The jatropha curcas plant has toxic material. It has lectin, saponin, phorbol, toxalbumin curcin and is a trypsin inhibitor. In easy words, it can be damaging and in extreme conditions, even fatal to consume unattended plant. The seeds need to be properly roasted and treated before being utilized in any consumable use. Since it has become practical to treat the poisonous material, the plant intake has actually likewise been increasing. To fulfill the increasing needs, the plant has to be grown through various scientific approaches like in-vitro and ex-vitro propagation. This enables rapid development and for establishing illness and pest resistant varieties of the plant. And a healthy crop will indicate more fuel and much better environment on the whole.

It remains in our hands to live in harmony with the nature, and it is our options that figure out the result of the interaction we have with the nature. If we choose environment friendly products, we enhance our lives. So, choosing jatropha curcas can be the first action in enhancing the wealth called environment.