Pharmocognostic studies of JATROPHA Curcas Linn. (Euphorbiaceae)

Jatropha curcas, a multipurpose, drought resistant, perennial plant belonging to Euphorbiaceae family is gaining due to its production of biodiesel. It is a tropical plant that can be grown in low to high rainfall areas either in the farm as a commercial crop or on the boundaries as a hedge to protect fields from grazing animals and to prevent erosion. The macroscopical, microscopical characters and the analytical standards of the plant were determined using standard methods. Macroscopical studies revealed that the petiole shows slight enlargement at the point of attachment. Leaf is dark green on the upper surface and pale green on the ventral surface, alternately arranged on the stem, reticulate venation, and margin palmately lobed. The stem is cylindrical in shape, smooth with spots of brown nodules. The root is cylindrical tapering to the end, and the surface smooth. Daughter roots are present. Microscopical Studies revealed that the powdered leaf possesses anomocytic stomata, prisms of calcium oxalate crystals, and starch grains. The powdered stem and root showed fibres associated with pitted vessels, phloem, xylem, sclereids, and prisms of calcium oxalate.The transverse section of the leaf showed the epidermis covered externally by wavy cuticle, anomocytic stomata, mesophyll consisting of spongy mesophyll composed of parenchyma cells with intercellular air spaces, and palisade mesophyll made up of cylindrical cells. The transverse of the stem and root showed epidermis having thin walls, phloem, xylem, and multiseriated medullary rays containing starch grains. The percentages of total ash for the leaf, stem and root of J. curcas, were 11.45, 5.30 and 6.05; water soluble ash values 5.50, 1.60 and 4.00; sulphated ash values 5.30, 6.00 and 8.90; acid insoluble ash values 0.65, 3.35 and 3.35; water soluble extractive values 2.55, 14.40 and 4.15; alcohol soluble extractive values 3.35, 3.80 and 2.65; moisture contents 12.25, 1.90 and 18.25 respectively. The quantitative analysis of the leaf showed that the palisade ratio is 4.75 ± 1.92; stomatal number, 26.50 ± 1.50; stomatal index, 0.57 ± 0.06; vein- islet, 9.75 ± 3.63 and veinlet termination number, 6.75 ± 2.86.Keywords: Jatropha curcas, Pharmacognostic studies, EuphorbiaceaeJournal of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences, Vol. 7 No. 3 (2010