The Nature has actually offered us countless bounties ... some we know of and some that are still hidden in the deep secrets waiting to be revealed and waiting to improve our lives. One of these bounties is Jatropha, the physic nut. It is among the most popular herbs and the term Jatropha is really a "genus" covering some 175 plants together. The name originates from Greek words for Iatros indicating physician and trophe meaning nutrition. So physic nuts or jatropha curcas, from the kingdom plantae is being studied extensively for it can be put to numerous usages in our everyday lives.

To start with, Jatropha is discovering fantastic acceptance all over the world as a bio-doesel. The jatropha curcas seeds can be squashed to obtain the oil and this can be utilized as a bio-fuel. The residues can be used as fertilizer or as a feed for electrical energy producing plants. And this enables a sustainable development. Not just the seeds, but the plant as a whole is well fit to meet the growing environmental issues. And why just the bio-diesel, it can be used as aviation fuel, auto fuel and a host of other uses from other parts of the plants. The stems of this plant discover usages in basket making, ornamental purposes, and tanning leather and getting dyes. The plant even finds use in medications for cough, balm ointments, tooth pastes, cosmetics and is even used to produce good quality paper. The plant is, for that reason, being put to almost every imaginable use possible.

Though it puts the worry of having a sustainable source of energy at hands to a back burner, yet it needs to be nurtured and cared for to permit a healthy plant development. And it has actually been observed that the jatropha curcas plants tax our water resources. So, they are grown in areas with plenty of rains. This cuts the burden on the water resources, enables water preservation and human effort too. Because the watering investment is only one time expense of time, cash, effort and resources, it is being accepted as a sustainable alternative worldwide.

But it is not all goodie - goodie about the plant. The Jatropha plant has toxic content. It has lectin, saponin, phorbol, toxalbumin curcin and is a trypsin inhibitor. In simple words, it can be damaging and in extreme conditions, even deadly to take in neglected plant. The seeds need to be properly roasted and dealt with before being used in any consumable usage. Since it has ended up being practical to deal with the toxic material, the plant usage has actually also been rising. To satisfy the increasing demands, the plant needs to be grown through different clinical approaches like in-vitro and ex-vitro propagation. This allows for quick development and for developing illness and pest resistant varieties of the plant. And a healthy crop will mean 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 figure out the result of the interaction we have with the nature. If we select environment friendly products, we enhance our lives. So, choosing jatropha curcas can be the initial step in improving the wealth called environment.