The Nature has offered us many bounties … some we know of and some that are still hidden in the deep secrets waiting to be exposed and waiting to enrich our lives. One of these bounties is jatropha curcas, the physic nut. It is one of the most popular herbs and the term Jatropha is in fact a “genus” covering some 175 plants together. The name originates from Greek words for Iatros suggesting doctor and trophe significance nutrition. So physic nuts or Jatropha, from the kingdom plantae is being studied extensively for it can be put to many usages in our daily lives.

To begin with, jatropha curcas is discovering great approval all over the world as a bio-doesel. The jatropha curcas seeds can be squashed to acquire the oil and this can be utilized as a bio-fuel. The residues can be utilized as fertilizer or as a feed for electrical energy producing plants. And this permits a sustainable development. Not simply the seeds, however the plant as a whole is well matched to fulfill the growing environmental issues. And why simply the bio-diesel, it can be used as air travel fuel, car fuel and a host of other uses from other parts of the plants. The stems of this plant find uses in basket making, ornamental purposes, and tanning leather and obtaining dyes. The plant even finds usage in medications for cough, balm ointments, toothpastes, cosmetics and is even used to produce great quality paper. The plant is, therefore, being put to nearly every thinkable use possible.

Though it puts the worry of having a renewable source of energy at hands to a back burner, yet it requires to be nurtured and taken care of to permit for a healthy plant development. And it has been observed that the Jatropha plants tax our water resources. So, they are grown in areas with lots of rainfall. This cuts the problem on the water resources, permits water preservation and human effort too. Because the watering investment is just one time cost of time, money, effort and resources, it is being accepted as a sustainable choice worldwide.

But it is not all goodie - goodie about the plant. The jatropha curcas plant has poisonous material. It has lectin, saponin, phorbol, toxalbumin curcin and is a trypsin inhibitor. In basic words, it can be damaging and in severe conditions, even fatal to take in untreated plant. The seeds have to be appropriately roasted and dealt with before being used in any consumable use. Since it has actually become feasible to treat the hazardous material, the plant consumption has actually also been rising. To meet the increasing demands, the plant needs to be grown through different scientific approaches like in-vitro and ex-vitro propagation. This enables quick growth and for establishing illness and pest resistant varieties of the plant. And a healthy crop will imply more fuel and better environment on the whole.

It remains in our hands to live in harmony with the nature, and it is our choices that identify the result of the interaction we have with the nature. If we pick environment friendly products, we improve our lives. So, selecting jatropha curcas can be the initial step in improving the wealth called .