Jatropa Curcas or locally known as Tuba Bakod in our country has been used by our ancestors as a folkloric medicine for rheumatic pains, snake bites and also insecticide. The leaves are used as medicine for muscle ailments like rheumatic pains. Simply by applying oil on the leaves and heated by flames and then applied to the skin on where the ailments are. Although it has medicinal properties, the fruit and seed is not edible and poisonous when ingested. The leaves have anti-inflammatory properties but toxic when excessively used internally. The pounded leaves when pounded and made into a poultice can be used to aid in snakebites and also effective as an insecticide.
This shrub is erect and the leaves have a usually somewhat rounded at the base, pointed at the tip and toothed at the margins. Distributed though out the Philippines and neighboring Asian countries.
Although this is an important addition to the many medicinal herbs (which you can also find some Philippine medical plants in my site on the resource box link below), it is now been discovered as a good bio diesel alternative or additive. Very cost effective and very close to the chemical properties of (fossil) diesel fuel we are using today. Unlike the coconut oil or alcohol additive, which are expensive to produce, Jatropa curcas or tuba is much cheaper. A liter of pure coco bio diesel would cost over P120 or US$2.50, which is why only small amounts of it can be mixed with regular diesel fuel to produce a competitively priced alternative.
Since there are no much demand for tuba, and very easy to propagate the plants, it is cost effective. And imagine you can extract 1 liter of oil from 3 kilos of seeds. There are no complicated processes of extracting oil from the seeds unlike coconut oil and alcohol bio diesel. Seeds are sun dried and grounded to extract oil from it.
India now leads in the development of Jatropa curcas bio diesel fuel and now people in our country are becoming aware with the help of media. And hoping that the government will push through in promoting this bio diesel fuel. Research on jatropha biodiesel production in the Philippines is being undertaken by the research and development facility in Diliman, Quezon City, of PNOC Energy Development Corp.
In India they are talking about planting jatropha in as much as 33 million hectares of wasteland. The proponents envision plantations that can produce enough oil seeds from which biodiesel could be extracted to meet India's current diesel fuel requirement of 40 million tons annually. Five tons of jatropha oil seeds can produce two tons of biodiesel.
The Indian proponents of jatropha biodiesel point out, among others, that the plants "grow on poor degraded soils and are able to ensure a reasonable production of seeds with very little inputs. [They are] not grazed by animals [and are] highly pest and disease resistant."
You can use dandelions as an herbal plant and a medicinal plant; it's no longer just a weed. You can use the dandelion roots to make tinctures or teas. The dandelion flower can be used to make dandelion wine and the leaves can be chopped and added to salads, soups or stews. The versatility of the dandelion herb is astounding.
Long ago physicians treated patients according to the Doctrine of the Signatures. They believed that herbs were signed by God to indicate their medicinal usage by color. Therefore, they treated jaundice with a dandelion tonic because of its yellow hue. In Victorian days cooks grew dandelions in their kitchen gardens for addition to their recipes and of course, to make dandelion wine.
The French call it the dent-de-lion or lion's tooth. They feel that the petals reminds them of lion's teeth. It has acquired many nick names along the years including, blow ball or puff ball, tell-the-time and clockflower. The puff ball moniker refers to days after the flowering, when a feather globe of seeds appears to be blown in the wind to a new destination. It is said that the dandelion can foretell the weather. If the day is to be fine the flower will open fully. If the flower ball remains tightly closed it is a sign of rain.
The dandelion grows across the United States and Canada. It has a long growing period that lasts from spring to fall. Early spring is the best time to harvest the green leaves before the dandelion flowers. Once the dandelion has flowered the leaves will be very bitter. The dandelion leaves have more iron that spinach and more carotene than carrots.
That common dandelion weed is packed with minerals such as calcium, magnesium phosphorous, iron, zinc and selenium. Added to that, it supplies vitamins B1, B2, B3, C and E. Who knew?
The dandelion as an herbal plant has many uses. You can use the flowers to make dandelion wine. Just grind up one cup of the flowers into 4 cups of white wine, put in an air tight container and let it steep for 4 weeks. Of course, strain out the flowers before drinking. The leaves make a tea or can be used chopped in a salad, soups and stews. The roots can be made into a caffeine free coffee after roasting or dry them for tinctures. The entire dandelion can be used as an herbal plant or a medicinal plant. Just make sure to dig deep when harvesting the dandelion as it has a very long tap root.
Another useful way to use the dandelion herb is to juice a big bowl of it with ? of an apple. You will find it a very easy way to supplement your diet with the beneficial properties of the dandelion plant.
The dandelion as a medicinal plant can be used in a variety of ways. In the spring pick young leaves to be eaten in salads to take advantage of all those vitamins and minerals. Pick mature leaves, before the dandelion flowers, for their diuretic qualities to cleanse the bladder and urinary tract. The leaves made into teas will help ease water retention associated with PMS. The milky sap that oozes out of the stem is said to remove warts.
So the dandelion is no longer just a weed, it can be used as an herbal plant and a medicinal plant. Or view it as a fun memory of your childhood. How many of us can remember braiding "necklaces" out of dandelions as young children. Or, remember the delight of blowing on the puff ball to scatter its seeds. It is time to become reacquainted with the dandelion and all it is worth.
Both Manolito Montala & Mary Hanna are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Manolito Montala has sinced written about articles on various topics from Alternative Medicine, Hobbies for the Family and Alternative Medicine. About the author: Manolito Montala is a webmaster and one of his interests is collecting local information whic. Manolito Montala's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
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