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Agriculture production cost and production system sustainability are key factors to sustain food production for the growing human race. This study assessed two farming frameworks; Integrated Agricultural Bio-Energy (IAB) and Conventional Agricultural Energy (CAE) with an emphasis on fuel, fertilization, and household energy. The IAB depended on Jatropha biodiesel-petro-diesel blend (JB88) + solar energy + organic fertilizer, while CAE used petrol-diesel + hydro-electric energy + chemical fertilizer. The study was planned in the Randomized Complete Block Design with 4 replications. Analysis of the results revealed that CAE produced the highest maize, soybean, and Andrographis paniculata yields but due to its higher variable production cost and the low market price of inorganic food, the profit gained, and the benefit-cost ratio were lesser. The variable production cost/year of IAB was reduced due to the less fuel cost (66%) and low fuel consumption rate (1.98%) of JB88 compared to the petrol-diesel of CAB. JB88 also recorded high market-priced products that intend to give more profit when compared to CAE. The gaseous emissions of HC (24.42 ppm) and CO (0.03%) of IAB were 30.3% and 95.9%, respectively lesser compared to CAE which emitted 35.03 ppm of HC and 0.74% of CO, respectively. Thus the economic gain, the less harmful gases released, and the known benefits of organic fertilizer used in IAB makes it a more efficient and environmentally friendly framework for a sustainable agriculture production.

Jatrogricaine A (1), a new diterpenoid possessing a 5/6/6/4 carbon ring system, together with eight known diterpenoids (2-9) were isolated from the stems of Jatropha podagrica. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods and the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities in vitro, and compound 3 showed significant inhibitory effects against nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells with an IC50 of 13.44 ± 0.28 μmol·L-1, being comparable to the positive control, quercetin (IC50 17.00 ± 2.10 μmol·L-1).

Two novel diterpenoids, japodagricanones A (1) and B (2), along with their biogenetically related diterpenoid 15-epi-4E-jatrogrossidentadion (3), were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Jatropha podagrica. Japodagricanones A (1) and B (2) are the first C-5-nor lathyrane-type diterpenoids. Their structures were established using spectroscopic data, including MS, NMR and ECD data. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for their generation was also proposed.

In a number of species of the genus Jatropha, used in folk medicine in tropical areas, the active principle is the macrocyclic diterpenoid jatrophone, which co-occurs with the inactive diterpenoids jatropholone A and B. Callus and suspension cultures of Jatropha cathartica, J. cinerea, J. curcas, J. dioica, J. elliptica, J. multifida, J. podagrica and J. mollissima were established, but most of the cell lines tested accumulated no, or only small quantities of jatrophone. The maximum jatrophone accumulation (3 mu g . g(-1) dry weight) was obtained with callus and suspension cultures derived from J. curcas and J. elliptica. Root-organ cultures of J. elliptica formed following incubation of suspension cells in the presence of 3-indoleburyric acid (5 mg . L(-1)). The maximum accumulation of jatrophone and the jatropholones in newly initiated roots grown in vitro was 329 and 458 mu g . g(-1) dry weight, respectively. The effects on diterpenoid accumulation root-organs of alteration of environmental parameters, and of the addition of chitosan, Benomyl(R) and Al3+ to the growth medium were investigated. The yield of jatrophone was significantly increased in the presence of 0.07-0.7 mmol/L Al3+, and the product profile was altered concomitantly.

Four Jatropha species used in folk medicine were screened for irritant constituents. By chromatographic and countercurrent distribution procedures, highly irritant factors were isolated from each species. They represent new polyunsaturated esters of the tigliane-type diterpenoids 16-hydroxyphorbol ( J. podagrica, J. multifida ) and 12-deoxy-16-hydroxyphorbol ( J. curcas, J. gossypifolia ).