Genome-wide characterization of the SPL gene family involved in the age development of Jatropha curcas.

BACKGROUND: SPL (SQUAMOSA-promoter binding protein-like) proteins form a large family of plant-specific transcription factors that play essential roles in various aspects of plant growth and development. They are potentially important candidates for genetic improvement of agronomic traits. However, there were limited information about the SPL genes in Jatropha curcas, an important biofuel plant. RESULTS: In Jatropha, 15 JcSPL genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most of the JcSPLs were closely related to SPLs from woody plant rather than herbaceous plant and distantly related to monocotyledon SPLs. Gene structure, conserved motif and repetitive sequence analysis indicated diverse and specific functions of some JcSPL genes. By combination of target prediction and degradome sequencing analysis, 10 of the 15 JcSPLs were shown to be targets of JcmiR156. Quantitative PCR analysis showed diversified spatial-temporal expression patterns of JcSPLs. It is interesting that the expression levels of JcSPL3 were the highest in all tissues examined in 7- or 10-year-old plants and exhibited increasing trend with plant age, suggesting its important role in the regulation of age development in Jatropha. Overexpression of JcSPL3 in Arabidopsis resulted in earlier flowering time, shorter silique length and reduced biomass of roots. CONCLUSIONS: Through comprehensive and systematic analysis of phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs, gene structures, chromosomal locations, repetitive sequence and expression patterns, 15 JcSPL genes were identified in Jatropha and characterized in great detail. These results provide deep insight into the evolutionary origin and biological significance of plant SPLs and lay the foundation for further functional characterization of JcSPLs with the purpose of genetic improvement in Jatropha.

Biologically Active Orbitides from the Euphorbiaceae Family.

A comprehensive overview of natural orbitides isolated from Euphorbiaceae species and their most relevant biological activities are presented. Euphorbiaceae is a large and diverse family, which comprises about 300 genera, and is known as an important source of medicines and toxins. Several classes of secondary metabolites have been described for this taxon, however, orbitides have been broadly reported in Jatropha and Croton genera. Additionally, the latex is documented as the main source of orbitides in this family. Based on their structural and functional diversity, orbitides present a large variety of biological activities described as cytotoxicity, antimalarial, antibacterial, antifungal, enzymatic inhibition, and immunosuppressive, although the mechanism of action still needs to be further investigated. In recent years, the discovery of bioactive cyclic peptides from different sources has grown exponentially, making them promising molecules in the search for new drug leads. This review also highlights the attempts made by many researchers to organize the orbitides nomenclature and amino acid numbering, as well the important progress recently achieved in the biosynthetic study area.

Genome-wide analysis of the GRAS gene family in physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.).

GRAS proteins play vital roles in plant growth and development. Physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) was found to have a total of 48 GRAS family members (JcGRAS), 15 more than those found in Arabidopsis. The JcGRAS genes were divided into 12 subfamilies or 15 ancient monophyletic lineages based on the phylogenetic analysis of GRAS proteins from both flowering and lower plants. The functions of GRAS genes in 9 subfamilies have been reported previously for several plants, while the genes in the remaining 3 subfamilies were of unknown function; we named the latter families U1 to U3. No member of U3 subfamily is present in Arabidopsis and Poaceae species according to public genome sequence data. In comparison with the number of GRAS genes in Arabidopsis, more were detected in physic nut, resulting from the retention of many ancient GRAS subfamilies and the formation of tandem repeats during evolution. No evidence of recent duplication among JcGRAS genes was observed in physic nut. Based on digital gene expression data, 21 of the 48 genes exhibited differential expression in four tissues analyzed. Two members of subfamily U3 were expressed only in buds and flowers, implying that they may play specific roles. Our results provide valuable resources for future studies on the functions of GRAS proteins in physic nut.

Jatropha curcas Protein Concentrate Stimulates Insulin Signaling, Lipogenesis, Protein Synthesis and the PKCα Pathway in Rat Liver.

Jatropha curcas is an oil seed plant that belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. Nontoxic genotypes have been reported in Mexico. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the effect of a Mexican variety of J. curcas protein concentrate (JCP) on weight gain, biochemical parameters, and the expression of genes and proteins involved in insulin signaling, lipogenesis, cholesterol and protein synthesis in rats. The results demonstrated that short-term consumption of JCP increased serum glucose, insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol levels as well as the expression of transcription factors involved in lipogenesis and cholesterol synthesis (SREBP-1 and LXRα). Moreover, there was an increase in insulin signaling mediated by Akt phosphorylation and mTOR. JCP also increased PKCα protein abundance and the activation of downstream signaling pathway targets such as the AP1 and NF-κB transcription factors typically activated by phorbol esters. These results suggested that phorbol esters are present in JCP, and that they could be involved in the activation of PKC which may be responsible for the high insulin secretion and consequently the activation of insulin-dependent pathways. Our data suggest that this Mexican Jatropha variety contains toxic compounds that produce negative metabolic effects which require caution when using in the applications of Jatropha-based products in medicine and nutrition.

High level of molecular and phenotypic biodiversity in Jatropha curcas from Central America compared to Africa, Asia and South America.

BACKGROUND: The main bottleneck to elevate jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) from a wild species to a profitable biodiesel crop is the low genetic and phenotypic variation found in different regions of the world, hampering efficient plant breeding for productivity traits. In this study, 182 accessions from Asia (91), Africa (35), South America (9) and Central America (47) were evaluated at genetic and phenotypic level to find genetic variation and important traits for oilseed production. RESULTS: Genetic variation was assessed with SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat), TRAP (Target Region Amplification Polymorphism) and AFLP (Amplified fragment length polymorphism) techniques. Phenotypic variation included seed morphological characteristics, seed oil content and fatty acid composition and early growth traits. Jaccard's similarity and cluster analysis by UPGM (Unweighted Paired Group Method) with arithmetic mean and PCA (Principle Component Analysis) indicated higher variability in Central American accessions compared to Asian, African and South American accessions. Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) values ranged from 0 to 0.65. In the set of Central American accessions. PIC values were higher than in other regions. Accessions from the Central American population contain alleles that were not found in the accessions from other populations. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA; P < 0.0001) indicated high genetic variation within regions (81.7%) and low variation across regions (18.3%). A high level of genetic variation was found on early growth traits and on components of the relative growth rate (specific leaf area, leaf weight, leaf weight ratio and net assimilation rate) as indicated by significant differences between accessions and by the high heritability values (50-88%). The fatty acid composition of jatropha oil significantly differed (P < 0.05) between regions. CONCLUSIONS: The pool of Central American accessions showed very large genetic variation as assessed by DNA-marker variation compared to accessions from other regions. Central American accessions also showed the highest phenotypic variation and should be considered as the most important source for plant breeding. Some variation in early growth traits was found within a group of accessions from Asia and Africa, while these accessions did not differ in a single DNA-marker, possibly indicating epigenetic variation.

Phylogeography and molecular diversity analysis of Jatropha curcas L. and the dispersal route revealed by RAPD, AFLP and nrDNA-ITS analysis.

Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) has acquired a great importance as a renewable source of energy with a number of environmental benefits. Very few attempts were made to understand the extent of genetic diversity and its distribution. This study was aimed to study the diversity and deduce the phylogeography of Jatropha curcas L. which is said to be the most primitive species of the genus Jatropha. Here we studied the intraspecific genetic diversity of the species distributed in different parts of the globe. The study also focused to understand the molecular diversity at reported probable center of origin (Mexico), and to reveal the dispersal route to other regions based on random amplified polymorphic DNA, amplified fragment length polymorphism and nrDNA-ITS sequences data. The overall genetic diversity of J. curcas found in the present study was narrow. The highest genetic diversity was observed in the germplasm collected from Mexico and supports the earlier hypothesis based on morphological data and natural distribution, it is the center for origin of the species. Least genetic diversity found in the Indian germplasm and clustering results revealed that the species was introduced simultaneously by two distinct germplasm and subsequently distributed in different parts of India. The present molecular data further revealed that J. curcas might have spread from the center of the origin to Cape Verde, than to Spain, Portuguese to other neighboring countries and simultaneously to Africa. The molecular evidence supports the Burkill et al. (A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula, Governments of Malaysia and Singapore by the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1966) view of Portuguese might have introduced the species to India. The clustering pattern suggests that the distribution was interfered by human activity.

Identification and differential expression of two dehydrin cDNAs during maturation of Jatropha curcas seeds.

Plant dehydrin proteins (DHNs) are known to be important for environmental stress tolerance and are involved in various developmental processes. Two full-length cDNAs JcDHN-1 and JcDHN-2 encoding two dehydrins from Jatropha curcas seeds were identified and characterized. JcDHN-1 is 764 bp long and contains an open reading frame of 528 bp. The deduced JcDHN-1 protein has 175 a.a. residues that form a 19.3-kDa polypeptide with a predicted isoelectric point (pI) of 6.41. JcDHN-2 is 855 bp long and contains an open reading frame of 441 bp. The deduced JcDHN-2 protein has 156 a.a. residues that form a 17.1-kDa polypeptide with a predicted pI of 7.09. JcDHN-1 is classified as type Y3SK2 and JcDHN-2 is classified as type Y2SK2 according to the YSK shorthand for structural classification of dehydrins. Homology analysis indicates that both JcDHN-1 and JcDHN-2 share identity with DHNs of other plants. Analysis of the conserved domain revealed that JcDHN-2 has glycoside hydrolase GH20 super-family activity. Quantitative real time PCR analysis for JcDHN-1 and JcDHN-2 expression during seed development showed increasing gene expression of both their transcript levels along with the natural dehydration process during seed development. A sharp increase in JcDHN-2 transcript level occurred in response to water content dropping from 42% in mature seeds to 12% in dry seeds. These results indicate that both JcDHNs have the potential to play a role in cell protection during dehydration occurring naturally during jatropha orthodox seed development.

Development of microsatellite primers for Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) and transferability to congeners.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Microsatellite primers were developed for Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae), a tree species with large potential for biofuel production, to investigate its natural genetic diversity and mating system to facilitate the establishment of tree improvement and conservation programs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a protocol for genomic library enrichment, 104 clones containing 195 repeat motifs were identified. Primer pairs were developed for 40 microsatellite loci and validated in 41 accessions of J. curcas from six provenances. Nine loci were polymorphic revealing from two to eight alleles per locus, and six primers were able to amplify alleles in the congeners J. podagrica, J. pohliana, and J. gossypifolia, but not in other Euphorbiaceae species, such as Hevea brasiliensis, Manihot esculenta, or Ricinus communis. CONCLUSIONS: The primers developed here revealed polymorphic loci that are suitable for genetic diversity and structure, mating system, and gene flow studies in J. curcas, and some congeners.

Genetic diversity analysis of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) based on methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism.

Genetic analysis of 56 samples of Jatropha curcas L. collected from Thailand and other countries was performed using the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) technique. Nine primer combinations were used to generate MSAP fingerprints. When the data were interpreted as amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers, 471 markers were scored. All 56 samples were classified into three major groups: γ-irradiated, non-toxic and toxic accessions. Genetic similarity among the samples was extremely high, ranging from 0.95 to 1.00, which indicated very low genetic diversity in this species. The MSAP fingerprint was further analyzed for DNA methylation polymorphisms. The results revealed differences in the DNA methylation level among the samples. However, the samples collected from saline areas and some species hybrids showed specific DNA methylation patterns. AFLP data were used, together with methylation-sensitive AFLP (MS-AFLP) data, to construct a phylogenetic tree, resulting in higher efficiency to distinguish the samples. This combined analysis separated samples previously grouped in the AFLP analysis. This analysis also distinguished some hybrids. Principal component analysis was also performed; the results confirmed the separation in the phylogenetic tree. Some polymorphic bands, involving both nucleotide and DNA methylation polymorphism, that differed between toxic and non-toxic samples were identified, cloned and sequenced. BLAST analysis of these fragments revealed differences in DNA methylation in some known genes and nucleotide polymorphism in chloroplast DNA. We conclude that MSAP is a powerful technique for the study of genetic diversity for organisms that have a narrow genetic base.

[Genetic diversity and genetic relationship of Jatropha curcas L. in Sichuan and Yunnan evaluated by cpSSR markers].

OBJECTIVE: The genetic diversity and genetic relationship of Jatropha curcas resources in Sichuan and Yunnan were studied in order to provide a theoretical basis for breeding fine varieties and protecting germplasm resources. METHOD: Ten J. curcas populations were studied by 12 cpSSR primers in this paper. On the base of amplified bands, genetic diversity parameters were analyzed by POPGENE version 1.32. Furthermore, UPGMA tree of 10 J. curcas populations established from pairwise population distance by NTSYSpc version 2.10. RESULT: Twenty-two polymorphic bands were detected, and the percentage of polymorphic loci (P) was 76.28%. Among of the 10 J. curcas populations, the average percentage of polymorphic loci of YNSB was higher than that of the other populations, and it reached 95.45%; On the other hand, that of YNLS was the lowest in all populations, and it was 45.45%. Nei's gene diversity index(H(e)), Shannon information index(I), Effective Num of alleles(A(e)) were respectively 0.4020, 0.576 7, 1.713 6. The total gene diversity (H(T)), the gene differentiation coefficient (G(st)), the gene flow (N(m)) and the gene diversity within populations (H(s)) were 0.443 3, 0.080 2, 3.058 5, 0.405 1, 0.035 7, respectively. The highest gene diversity ratio was showed within populations and the lowest among populations. The results by AMOVA analysis showed that 91.02% of genetic variation existed within populations while 8.98% of genetic variation existed among populations. On the base of the results, the conclusion was extracted that variation existed mainly within populations, and the variation within populations was bigger than that among populations. The result was consistent with that of the gene differentiation coefficient. The order of the genetic diversity was YNLS population < XSBN population < SCHPZ population < SCHD population < SCJH population < YNPR population < SCLB population < YNSB population < YNFY population < SCHL population. The range of Nei's genetic identity and genetic distance of 10 respectively populations were respectively 0.812 7-0.979 8, 0.020 4-0.207 3. All these showed the similarity was higher and there was a close relationship among the 10 respectively populations; Results based on the cluster analysis showed that 10 respectively populations were divided into 2 groups: one was SCJH population and CHPZ population, the other was SCHL population, SCHD population, SCLB population, YNSB population, YNFY population, YNPR population, XSBN population and YNLS population. CONCLUSION: Significant genetic diversity was observed among respectively resources in Sichuan and Yunnan. On the other hand, genetic relationship was close between populations.

Genomewide comparative analysis of codon usage bias in three sequenced Jatropha curcas.

Jatropha curcas has recently emerged as an important bioenergy plant which is an ideal alternative for fossil fuels. It is particularly significant to analyse the codon usage bias (CUB) and further evaluate the intraspecific genetic divergence of three J. curcas in Asia, considering its potential economic benefits and various utilities. In the present study, the patterns of CUB were systematically compared, and the factors shaping CUB were identified in all three genomes of J. curcas. Our observations indicate that the preference for A/T nucleotides and A/T ending codons was present in all the three genomes. Moreover, 11 identical high-frequency codons as well as the optimal expression receptor Nicotiana tabacum were confirmed. Besides, it was observed that CUB resulted from the combined effects of natural selection and mutation pressure, while the natural selection was the determining factor. Eventually, similarity indices based on relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) values implied low intraspecific genetic divergence in three Asian J. curcas. This study provides useful clues for improving the expression level of exogenous genes and optimizing breeding programmes by molecular-assisted breeding in J. curcas.

Does epigenetic polymorphism contribute to phenotypic variances in Jatropha curcas L.?

BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest in Jatropha curcas L. (jatropha) as a biodiesel feedstock plant. Variations in its morphology and seed productivity have been well documented. However, there is the lack of systematic comparative evaluation of distinct collections under same climate and agronomic practices. With the several reports on low genetic diversity in jatropha collections, there is uncertainty on genetic contribution to jatropha morphology. RESULT: In this study, five populations of jatropha plants collected from China (CN), Indonesia (MD), Suriname (SU), Tanzania (AF) and India (TN) were planted in one farm under the same agronomic practices. Their agronomic traits (branching pattern, height, diameter of canopy, time to first flowering, dormancy, accumulated seed yield and oil content) were observed and tracked for two years. Significant variations were found for all the agronomic traits studied. Genetic diversity and epigenetic diversity were evaluated using florescence Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (fAFLP) and methylation sensitive florescence AFLP (MfAFLP) methods. Very low level of genetic diversity was detected (polymorphic band <0.1%) within and among populations. In contrast, intermediate but significant epigenetic diversity was detected (25.3% of bands were polymorphic) within and among populations. More than half of CCGG sites surveyed by MfAFLP were methylated with significant difference in inner cytosine and double cytosine methylation among populations. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) based on Nei's epigenetic distance showed Tanzania/India group distinct from China/Indonesia/Suriname group. Inheritance of epigenetic markers was assessed in one F1 hybrid population between two morphologically distinct parent plants and one selfed population. 30 out of 39 polymorphic markers (77%) were found heritable and followed Mendelian segregation. One epiallele was further confirmed by bisulphite sequencing of its corresponding genomic region. CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed climate and practice independent differences in agronomic performance among jatropha collections. Such agronomic trait variations, however, were matched by very low genetic diversity and medium level but significant epigenetic diversity. Significant difference in inner cytosine and double cytosine methylation at CCGG sites was also found among populations. Most epigenetic differential markers can be inherited as epialleles following Mendelian segregation. These results suggest possible involvement of epigenetics in jatropha development.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a gene encoding a putative beta-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthase III (KAS III) from Jatropha curcas.

A cDNA clone encoding a putative beta-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthase III (KAS III) was isolated from Jatropha curcas L., a woody oil plant. The cDNA clone (named JcKAS III) contained a 1203-bp open reading frame coding for 400 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of about 42 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA clone shares about 80% identity to KAS III from other plants, and contains a conserved Cys(176) in the active site and the amino acid motif G(355)NTSAAS(361) which is responsible for binding regulatory acyl-ACPs. Southern blotting analysis indicated that JcKAS III is a single copy gene in the J. curcas genome. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that JcKAS III was expressed in all tissues examined with highest expression in roots, and that expression of JcKAS III increased as seeds developed.

Genome-wide comparative analysis of papain-like cysteine protease family genes in castor bean and physic nut.

Papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs) are a class of proteolytic enzymes involved in many plant processes. Compared with the extensive research in Arabidopsis thaliana, little is known in castor bean (Ricinus communis) and physic nut (Jatropha curcas), two Euphorbiaceous plants without any recent whole-genome duplication. In this study, a total of 26 or 23 PLCP genes were identified from the genomes of castor bean and physic nut respectively, which can be divided into nine subfamilies based on the phylogenetic analysis: RD21, CEP, XCP, XBCP3, THI, SAG12, RD19, ALP and CTB. Although most of them harbor orthologs in Arabidopsis, several members in subfamilies RD21, CEP, XBCP3 and SAG12 form new groups or subgroups as observed in other species, suggesting specific gene loss occurred in Arabidopsis. Recent gene duplicates were also identified in these two species, but they are limited to the SAG12 subfamily and were all derived from local duplication. Expression profiling revealed diverse patterns of different family members over various tissues. Furthermore, the evolution characteristics of PLCP genes were also compared and discussed. Our findings provide a useful reference to characterize PLCP genes and investigate the family evolution in Euphorbiaceae and species beyond.

Geographic origin is not supported by the genetic variability found in a large living collection of Jatropha curcas with accessions from three continents.

Increasing economic interest in Jatropha curcas requires a major research focus on the genetic background and geographic origin of this non-edible biofuel crop. To determine the worldwide genetic structure of this species, amplified fragment length polymorphisms, inter simple sequence repeats, and novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were employed for a large collection of 907 J. curcas accessions and related species (RS) from three continents, 15 countries and 53 regions. PCoA, phenogram, and cophenetic analyses separated RS from two J. curcas groups. Accessions from Mexico, Bolivia, Paraguay, Kenya, and Ethiopia with unknown origins were found in both groups. In general, there was a considerable overlap between individuals from different regions and countries. The Bayesian approach using STRUCTURE demonstrated two groups with a low genetic variation. Analysis of molecular varience revealed significant variation among individuals within populations. SNPs found by in silico analyses of Δ12 fatty acid desaturase indicated possible changes in gene expression and thus in fatty acid profiles. SNP variation was higher in the curcin gene compared to genes involved in oil production. Novel SNPs allowed separating toxic, non-toxic, and Mexican accessions. The present study confirms that human activities had a major influence on the genetic diversity of J. curcas, not only because of domestication, but also because of biased selection.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of the gene encoding proline dehydrogenase from Jatropha curcas L.

Proline dehydrogenase (ProDH) (EC 1.5.99.8) is a key enzyme in the catabolism of proline. The enzyme JcProDH and its complementary DNA (cDNA) were isolated from Jatropha curcas L., an important woody oil plant used as a raw material for biodiesels. It has been classified as a member of the Pro_dh superfamily based on multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic characterization, and its role in proline catabolism. Its cDNA is 1674 bp in length with a complete open reading frame of 1485 bp, which encodes a polypeptide chain of 494 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 54 kD and a pI of 8.27. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that JcProDH showed high similarity with ProDH from other plants. Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that JcProDH was especially abundant in the seeds and flowers but scarcely present in the stems, roots, and leaves. In addition, the expression of JcProDH increased in leaves experiencing environmental stress such as cold (5 °C), heat (42 °C), salt (300 mM), and drought (30 % PEG6000). The JcProDH protein was successfully expressed in the yeast strain INVSc1 and showed high enzyme activity in proline catabolism. This result confirmed that the JcProDH gene negatively participated in the stress response.

Development of SCAR marker specific to non-toxic Jatropha curcas L. and designing a novel multiplexing PCR along with nrDNA ITS primers to circumvent the false negative detection.

Jatropha curcas L., a multipurpose shrub, has acquired significant economic importance for its seed oil which can be converted to biodiesel an emerging alternative to petro-diesel. In addition to the commercial value, it is also having medicinal and even high nutritional value to use as animal fodder which is limited due to the toxicity. Development of molecular marker will enable to differentiate non-toxic from toxic variety of J. curcas in a mixed population and also for quality control since the toxic components of J. curcas has deleterious effect on animals. In the present study, the efforts were made to generate the specific SCAR marker for toxic and/or non-toxic J. curcas from RAPD markers. Among the markers specific for toxic and non-toxic varieties, four were selected, purified, cloned, sequenced, and designed primers out of which one set of primers NT-JC/SCAR I/OPQ15-F and R could able to discriminate the non-toxic with toxic Jatropha by giving expected 430 bp size amplification in non-toxic variety. Furthermore, novel multiplex PCR was designed using the nrDNA ITS primers to overcome the false negatives. Present work also demonstrates utility of the conserved regions of nrDNA coding genes in ruling out the artifacts in PCR-like false negatives frequently occur in SCAR due to various reasons. The specific SCAR markers generated in the present investigation will help to distinguish non-toxic from toxic varieties of J. curcas or vice versa, and isolated marker along with designed multiplex protocol has applications in quality control for selective cultivation of non-toxic variety and will also assist in breeding and molecular mapping studies.

A review on pharmacological significance of genus Jatropha (Euphorbiaceae).

A number of herbs belonging to the genus Jatropha of Euphorbiaceae family are noted for their medicinal benefits. The genus Jatropha is one of the prospective biodiesel yielding crops. The plants which have been so far explored include J. curcas, J. gossypifolia, J. glandulifera, J. multifida and J. podagrica. Although, the plants of this genus are widely distributed, there is an exiguity of scientific literature proclaiming the medicinal benefits of the plants belonging to genus Jatropha. The present paper is a pragmatic approach to accrue the findings on this very significant genus.

[Comparison of seed oil physicochemical characteristics among three cultivars of Jatropha curcas L].

Taking the cultivars Nanyou 1, 2, and 3 of barbadosnut (Jatropha curcas L. ) with different genotypes that can grow and seed normally at the inshore land in Hainan as test materials, the characters of their seeds and the physicochemical characteristics of their seed oils were analyzed and compared. No significant differences were observed in the seed length, width, thickness, and surface area among the cultivars, but Nanyou 2 had greater 1000 seed mass and lower unsound kernel percentage than Nanyou 1 and Nanyou 3, suggesting that the seed satiation of Nanyou 2 was good and the fecundity was excellent. The kernel oil content of Nanyou 3 was significantly higher than that of Nanyou 1 and Nanyou 2, and there was no significant difference between Nanyou 1 and Nanyou 2. The seed oil peroxide value, refractive index, and saponification value of the three cultivars had no significant differences, but the acid value for Nanyou 2 was much lower than that for Nanyou 1 and Nanyou 3. The seed oil iodine value of the three cultivars was all below 100, and was significantly lower for Nanyou 2 than for Nanyou 1 and Nanyou 3. The fatty acids in the three cultivars seed oils were mainly oleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, and margaric acid, and dominated by unsaturated fatty acids. The contents of saturated fatty acids in Nanyou 2 seed oil were relatively higher than those in Nanyou 1 and Nanyou 3 seed oils, indicating that comparing with Nanyou 1, cultivars Nanyou 2 and Nanyou 3 had relatively good potential for application.

[Oil contents and fatty acid composition in Jatropha curcas seeds collected from different regions].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the oil contents and fatty acid composition among the samples of Jatropha curcas L. seeds collected from China (Guangdong, Hainan, and Guizhou Provinces) and India. METHODS: Soxhlet extraction method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed to determine the oil contents of Jatropha seeds and the fatty acid composition of Jatropha oil. RESULTS: The seed oil contents (dry basis) were 32.43% (Guangdong), 31.41% (Hainan), 37.56% (Guizhou) and 41.04% (India), respectively. Twelve different fatty acids were detected by GC-MS, and the content of total unsaturated fatty acids accounted for 80.93%, 79.53%, 77.24% and 78.22% of the total fatty acids in the samples collected from Guangdong, Hainan, Guizhou and India, respectively. CONCLUSION: There are differences in the oil contents and fatty acid composition among the J. curcas seeds collected from different regions, and attention should be given to these differences in the introduction and breeding of J. curcas.