High Anticancer Properties of Defatted Jatropha Curcus Seed Residue and its Active Compound, Isoamericanol A

Jatropha seeds have gained popularity as a biodiesel fuel resource. The process of biodiesel production from the seeds, however, also creates a tremendous amount of defatted residue as a byproduct. In this study, the potential for pharmaceutical usage of extracts from the defatted residue of crushed Jatropha curcus L. seed was examined. Organic and water fractions of both ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and methanol (MeOH) extracts from the seed residue exhibited an inhibitory growth effect on the human cancer cell lines hepatocellular carcinoma (HuH-7) and breast cancer (MCF-7). Later, the effect of isoamericanol A from the MeOH-organic fraction was compared across three human cell lines in search of human cell types suitable for treatment (HuH-7, MCF-7, cervical cancer (HeLa)). Our results indicate that the effect of three-day isoamericanol A treatment differs by cell type. Although effective to some extent, HeLa cell growth was most inhibited at the smallest dosage, whereas MCF-7 growth suffered the greatest inhibition at the highest dosage. Our findings reveal possibility for utilization of the Jatropha seed residue extract as well as its active compound, isoamericanol A, as practical cancer treatments for certain cell types in the future.