Analysis of seed phorbol-ester and curcin content together with genetic diversity in multiple provenances of Jatropha curcas L. from Madagascar and Mexico

Jatropha curcas L. has been promoted as an oilseed crop for use to meet the increased world demand for vegetable oil production, and in particular, as a feedstock for biodiesel production. Seed meal is a protein-rich by-product of vegetable oil extraction, which can either be used as an organic fertilizer, or converted to animal feed. However, conversion of J. curcas seed meal into animal feed is complicated by the presence of toxins, though plants producing “edible” or “non-toxic” seeds occur in Mexico. Toxins present in the seeds of J. curcas include phorbol esters and a type-I ribosome inactivating protein (curcin). Although the edible seeds of J. curcas are known to lack phorbol esters, the curcin content of these seeds has not previously been studied. We analyzed the phorbol ester and curcin content of J. curcas seeds obtained from Mexico and Madagascar, and conclude that while phorbol esters are lacking in edible seeds, both types contain curcin. We also analyzed spatial distribution of these toxins in seeds. Phorbol-esters were most concentrated in the tegmen. Curcin was found in both the endosperm and tegmen. We conclude that seed toxicity in J. curcas is likely to be due to a monogenic trait, which may be under maternal control. We also conducted AFLP analysis and conclude that genetic diversity is very limited in the Madagascan collection compared to the Mexican collection.