Title: The Future of Jatropha Research: Next Steps in Biofuel and Medicine
Introduction
The journey of scientific discovery is a continuous cycle of asking questions and seeking answers. While the research on Jatropha curcas has already revealed its immense potential as a cornerstone for biorefineries, it has also opened up a new horizon of exciting possibilities. Where does this research go next? This final excerpt from Dr. Abdul Haq’s thesis outlines a clear and ambitious roadmap for the future. It identifies the critical areas that demand further investigation—from advanced genetic modification and optimizing digestion processes to purifying novel medicinal compounds—setting the stage for the next wave of innovation in sustainable energy and natural medicine.
Excerpt
“The crude phytochemical compounds obtained from J. curcas seed can further be purified using various techniques and can be used for individual as well as synergistic activities in combination with various antibiotics against various pathogenic strains. Bioactive compounds after purification from J. curcas extracts can be used for antioxidant, cytotoxic and enzyme inhibition assay both in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism of action of purified compounds obtained from J. curcas extracts can further be investigated on various pathogenic microbial cells.
The isolated lipase producing bacterial strains can further be genetically modified to enhance the biodiesel production from J. curcas seed oil. The mechanism of action of long chain fatty acids present in J. curcas seed oil can be investigated on microbial communities during anaerobic digestion.
Solid state anaerobic digestion of J. curcas seed to evaluate its potential for biogas production. Codigestion of seed kernel with other substrates (high carbon to nitrogen containing substrates) in continuous mode at different operational parameters to increase the efficiency of the reactor. J. curcas seed has low carbon to nitrogen ratio and it can be used in codigestion with other high carbon to nitrogen containing substrates to enhance the biogas yield.
Future Directions in Research
Initially, J. curcas seeds were subjected to mechanical oil extraction and yielded 32.5 % oil… J. curcas seeds have a number of compounds such as phorbol esters, curcin, and long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) that have been reported to have antimicrobial activities…
The LCFAs by itself have inhibitory effects on microbial cells, however, the exact mechanism of inhibition of LCFAs is unknown. The LCFAs target microbial cell membrane where a number of different processes occur, and interact with cells either biochemically or physiologically in nature.
The methanolic extract is highly rich in medicinally important compounds such as beta-monolaurin, I-(+)-ascorbic acid 2,6-dihexadecanoate, 9-hexadecenal, bis (tridecyl) phthalate, 1-docosanol and diacetone alcohol.
Beta-monolaurin had been reported as having antimicrobial properties and may damage microbial cell membranes, targeting various proteins and nucleic acids and macromolecular synthesis processes resulting in cell damage.
Jatropha curcas seed is potent feedstock for biogas production. However, phytochemicals in its seeds affect methane production, specifically by inhibiting hydrolytic and acidogenic bacterial communities.
Residues from methanolic extraction appear to be non-inhibitory to microbial communities and produced higher methane yields than other seed preparations… The extracted phytochemicals are themselves also potentially valuable to the pharmaceutical industry, increasing the economic value of Jatropha curcas seeds beyond biogas production.
Key Future Prospects
- The effect of different pretreatments on methanolic residues (seed cake after methanolic extraction) such as ionic solvent, alkaline and enzymatic pretreatments on biogas yield can be studies. The structural and compositional study of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin of the methanolic residues will be interesting.
- The crude phytochemical compounds obtained from J. curcas seed can further be purified using various techniques and can be used for individual as well as synergistic activities in combination with various antibiotics against various pathogenic strains.
- Bioactive compounds after purification from J. curcas extracts can be used for antioxidant, cytotoxic and enzyme inhibition assay both in vitro and in vivo.
- The mechanism of action of purified compounds obtained from J. curcas extracts can further be investigated on various pathogenic microbial cells.
- The isolated lipase producing bacterial strains can further be genetically modified to enhance the biodiesel production from J. curcas seed oil.
- The mechanism of action of long chain fatty acids present in J. curcas seed oil can be investigated on microbial communities during anaerobic digestion.
- Solid state anaerobic digestion of J. curcas seed to evaluate its potential for biogas production.
- Codigestion of seed kernel with other substrates (high carbon to nitrogen containing substrates) in continuous mode at different operational parameters to increase the efficiency of the reactor.
- J. curcas seed has low carbon to nitrogen ratio and it can be used in codigestion with other high carbon to nitrogen containing substrates to enhance the biogas yield.”
Source Citation
- Researcher’s full name: Abdul Haq
- Title: Biotechnological Applications of Jatropha curcas Seeds for Bioenergy Carriers and Bioactive Compounds
- Guide(s): Dr. Malik Badshah
- University: Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad
- Completed Date: 2020
- Excerpt Page Numbers: 141, 153, 181, 257
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