The many wonders of Tuba Tree (Jetropha Curcas)

I have never imagined that the tuba tree ( Jatropha Curcas)my mother planted in our backyard years ago to prevent our neighbors' chicken from eating her camote plant actually is an important tree until I saw it on TV.

When we were growing up, we had this big tuba tree in front of our house that served as a pharmacy for the whole barangay. One can not discount the importance of tuba as an ever dependable life saver. When we had stomach ache, Mama will just get few leaves from the tree, heat them in the stove and neatly arrange them in our abdomen like you would arrange lasagna in a dish. For canker sores, grab a leaf and drop the sap coming from the stem directly to cover the sore. Just ignore the bitter taste and you may feel a little discomfort as well but the sore will start to dry after a day. It is said to have anti-biotic, anti-inflammatory and purgative properties that's why it is very popular in the countryside where herbal medicine is the norm.

My knowledge of the tuba stops there. Little did I know that tuba has many useful products and by-products, especially the seed, from which oil can be extracted; this oil has similar properties to palm-oil. Because it can be used in place of kerosene and diesel and as a substitute for fuel, the potential of this plant is seen as our answer for foreign dependence of oil. Airline companies are now considering fueling airplanes with biodiesel extracted from this tree. Aimed at the reality of the sinking economy and soaring gas prices, could Tuba tree be our saving grace and the means to end global oil crisis?