Jatropha Toxity, 2001
GUBIZ, MITTELBACH, TRABI: BIOFUELS AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS FROM J. CURCAS Chapter 4: Toxity , Nicaragua Conference 2001
Description
Toxicity of Jatropha curcas seeds can be caused by several components, including saponins, lectins (curcin), phytates, protease inhibitors, curcalonic acid, and phorbol esters. Phorbol esters which activate the important cellular target protein kinase C (PKC) constitute the most active components which must be removed if oil or seed cake is being used for animal or human nutrition. Jatropha oil and phorbol esters exhibit insecticidal and molluscicidal activities over a wide range of organisms, suggesting their potential use in agriculture as biorational pesticides and as mollusc control agents (against water snails which transmit parasites, such as schistosomes or flukes). Phorbol esters are known tumor romotors, but are not mutagenic or carcinogenic