Pharmacognostical and Phytochemical Evaluation of Leaves Extract of Jatropha curcas Linn

Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) is a multipurpose plant with many attributes and considerable potential. Different parts of the Jatropha curcas plant are employed in Indian traditional medicine for the treatment of several disorders. The present work was targeted at developing quality parameter on the basis of pharmaceutical parameter leaves are reported to be employed in cancer, as an abortifacient, antiseptic, diuretic, purgative and haemostatic. Pharmacognostical parameters of the leaves were studied with the aim of drawing the pharmacopoeial standards for this species. Macroscopical and microscopical characters, physico-chemical constants, phytochemical study for the presence of various secondary metabolites and HPTLC fingerprint profile of methanolic extract were studied. The determination of these characters will aid future investigators in their Pharmacological analyses of this species.