COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE SEED OIL QUALITY AND MICROPROPAGATION OF ELITE JATROPHA CURCAS

Abstract

Rural development and climate change can promote the cultivation of Jatropha curcas, a biodiesel feedstock that has been identified as suitable for achieving biofuel. This study was aimed to evaluate the seed oils content of different ecotypes of Jatropha curcas from Mali and China. Seed oils were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters such as iodine value, free fatty acid, saponification and peroxide values. The fatty acid profiles were also determined and identified in quantifiable amount in the seed oils by using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The medium supplemented by kinetin and benzyl amino purine with three levels of variation (0.1; 0.3 and 0.5 mg/L) was used to initiate the axillary buds of elite ecotype. To determine the oil content of the seeds of J. curcas the Soxhlet extraction method was used. We found that the best seed oil concentration was observed in M3 with 64.82±0.78 % which was significantly different to the lowest one observed in M2 (58.49± 1.42). Among these, unsaturated fatty acids were predominant. Furthermore, oleic acid and linoleic acid were dominant with a higher level of methyl oleate (monounsaturated fatty acid). Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with BAP (BAP3) was the best for shoot propagation with a higher number of leaves. The highest percentage (45.23±0.85) of the root was achieved on MS/2 supplemented with 0.5 mg of NAA and IBA, which was more favorable to the rooting of shoots with many long roots. The highest among unsaturated acids were therefore observed in C2 with 73.23 which are considered to be best ecotype for the production of biodiesel.