EXTRACTION AND BIOACTIVITY FROM JATROPHA CURCAS L. LEAVES BY STEAM DISTILLATION

Jatropha curcas L. has biological activities that can contribute to find new products. In this study, steam distillation at laboratory scale was applied to J. curcas leaves to assess the yield of essential oil and the bioactivity of the hydrolate. The effect of steam flow and bed porosity on the extraction yield was also determined, where it was observed that residence time was one of the influential factors in the yield of essential oil. The extracts were analyzed by GC-MS. Dibutyl phthalate, phytol, and diisooctyl phthalate were the majoritarian components. Research reports indicate that these components have biological activity. The greatest yield obtained was 0.38% on a dry weight basis. The bioassays showed that the hydrolate of J. curcas possessed toxicity against Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae, Lactuca sativa, and Lolium perenne. The bioactivity of these products should be further explored, they have a promising future as a biocontroller.