PRODUCTIVTY OF CALOTROPIS PROCERA IN SEMI-ARID REGIONS OF RAJASTHAN AND ITS USE AS
PRODUCTIVTY OF CALOTROPIS PROCERA IN SEMI-ARID REGIONS OF RAJASTHAN AND ITS USE AS RENEWABLE SOURCE OF ENERGY
Ashwani Kumar, V.R. Kumar
Energy Plantation Demonstration project and Biotechnology Center.
Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan,
Jaipur – 302004, India.
E-mail: msku31@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT India has over 180 million of wasteland out of which 90 million ha is uncultivable. The degraded and denuded lands arise
due to soil erosions as well as secondary salinizations. However Calotropis procera is a potential plant for bioenergy and biofuel
production in semi arid regions of the country because it is able to grow on such lands. The plant has a growth potential of 2 dry tones
to 40 dry tones per ha depending on the agro climatic conditions of it’s growth. The plant has high level of regeneration potential and
could be harvested up to 4 times a year. The plant yields valuable hydrocarbons which could be converted into diesel substitutes. The
bio-diesel derived from Calotropis procera is free from NOx gases, S02 and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and has high cetane
value. Due to it’s enormous potential for growth under adverse climatic conditions Calotropis procera is suggested as potential plant
for bio-diesel production under semi-arid and arid conditions.
Keywords Calotropis procera, Calotropis gigantean, Semi-arid regions, Biomass and Biofuel, Hydrocarbons.
1 INTRODUCTION
India has varied agroclimatic zones which have wide range of
temperature, humidity, rainfall and soil conditions. Growth
and productivity of plant depends upon a large number of
edaphic, nutritional and environmental factors. This is more
important in respect to laticiferous plants whose growth is
influenced significantly by soil composition.
Even by liberal estimates these fossilized fuel resourceare not
going to last longer . Calotropis procera is a potential energy
resource, containing latex, an emulsion of oil and water. The
oil fraction looks, feels and acts like crude oil (1). The latex is
converted into petroleum like substances by using hydrocracking
in presence of zeolite catalysts (1). By some of the
estimates majority of the compound in latex consists of
terpenoids and sugars.
The Calotropis procera is widely distributed in Western
Rajasthan while Calotropis gigantea is found mostly under
cultivated conditions near temples in Jaipur, Bharatpur,
Udaipur, Bhilwara, Banswara division with relatively
moderate climatic conditions.
The occurrence of Calotropis species is related to the climatic
conditions. Calotropis procera growing in Jaisalmer assumes
gigantic proportions and people mistakenly identify it as C.
gigantea. It is generally not present on good soil except when
raised at places of worship. Calotropis gigantea is commonly
worshiped plant and is found in Shiv temples. The growth and
productivity was determined Detailed survey was carried out
in different parts of Rajasthan and growth and productivity of
Calotropis procera was studied.
2 THE PLANT
Calotropis procera (Asclepiadaceae) is a wild shrub, which
grows up to a height of 1-3 m and its leaves are 10–13 cm
wide by 17–19 cm long. Calotropis procera (Ait.) R.Br.
commonly known, as ‘Akra’ is a popular medicinal plant
found throughout the tropics of Asia and Africa and is used in
many traditional systems of medicine. Important factors of the
various parts of this plant have been widely reported.
The plant is one of the most abundantly available plants in the
semi-arid and arid conditions of the country. It is an
important member of traditional herbal medicine in every
home of India. Traditionally the leaves of aak are warmed
and tied around any body organ in pain. It practically useful
in backache and in joint pains, warm leaves also relieve from
stomachache if tied around. Inhalation of burnt leaf cures
headache. The traditional folk healers use the milky latex of
aak for several ailments. Leaf latex if applied on fresh cut,
stops bleeding immediately. Recent investigations have been
found that the alkaloids calotropin, calotaxein and uskerin is
stimulant to heart. Flowers and roots are used in Ayurvedic
medicine. Plant is anthelmintic, the ashes act as an
expectorant. the leaves are applied hot to the abdomen to cure
the pain inside. flower is tonic, antisialagogue, appetizer., and
cures stomachache piles and asthma. Flowers are believed to
have detergent properties so they are given in cholera. The
fresh roots are used as a toothbrush and are considered by
pathans to cure toothache. Aak is an alternative, tonic and
diaphoretic, in large dose emetic. The plant produces latex in
the laticifers. It has been established that laticifer
differentiation in vitro is a cytokinin-dependent process and
among the cytokinins, FAP was more effective than BA and
2-iP on MS medium supplemented with 4·6 μ M FAP and 1μ
M IAA. A literature survey of Calotropis procera revealed
that the plant contains mainly cardenolides besides steroids
and triterpenes. From the hexane-insoluble fraction of this
plant a new free cardenolide named proceragenin has been
isolated. The medicinal importance of Calotropis procera
prompted the studies on pharma-cological screening of the
antibacterial and anti-aggregating activities of proceragenin.
Procesterol, a new steroidal hydroxy ketone, has been isolated
from the fresh and undried flowers of Calotropis procera. The
chemical and spectral studies identified it as a C-6 C-24
diepimer of stigmast-4-en-6 ß-ol-3-one (1, 2, 3) .
3 MATERIALS AND METHODS
During the present investigation Calotropis procera (Ait) R.
Br. of family Asclepiadaceae was screened for the organic
extractables using extraction procedure. The plant material
was collected from different parts of Rajasthan including
Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Alwar, Bhartpur etc. Samples from different
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14th European Biomass Conference, 17-21 October 2005, Paris, France
places are under detailed investigation at IIP Dehradun. Here
the preliminary results are presented.
The Calotropis procera was collected from different districts
of Rajasthan falling under various agroclimatic conditions and
initial investigations on the anatomy, growth and productivity
were carried out on naturally occurring plants from the Jaipur
districts. Samples from different places are under detailed
investigation at IIP Dehradun. Here the preliminary results
are presented.
The plants were cut from the above ground and their fresh
weight was determined. The plants were dried in shade for
three days or more separately according to their height and
fresh weight, till their dry weight become constant. The dried
plant material was finally powdered. Ten g. of the powdered
plant material was packed in thimbles made from whatman
filter paper No. 1.
The extraction was done using solvent systems in soxhlet
apparatus. Initial extraction was done in hexane for 18h. in a
soxhlet apparatus at 40-450C. The heptane extractables were
collected after 18h and excess of solvent was removed by
distillation at 450C. The fractions were transferred to the
previously weighed vials and were finally dried at 400C for
24h. or till the weights became constant for determination of
bio-crude.
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
The percent dry weight ranged from 12.05 to 23.45 percent.
Maximum total extractable was recorded from the plant
having 122 cm. height and fresh weight was 2.4 kg.
Maximum percent biocrude of stem was 12.67%.
Maximum bio-crude obtained from stem was followed by
leaves and flowers. Thus the relative distribution of latex was
dependent on plant parts utilised.
World derives a fifth of its energy from renewable resources -
13-14 percent from biomass and 6 percent from hydro. In the
case of biomass this represents about 25 mboe/day
(55EJ/year). In developing countries it is the most important
source of energy (35 percent of total ) for the three quarters of
the worlds population which lives in them. In some
developing countries biomass provides 90 percent or more of
total energy. First efforts to cultivate hydrocarbon producing
plants for fuel production were made by Italians in Ethiopia
had limited success. Presently the largest fuel program is in
Brazil where government currently spends a considerable
amount on subsidizing the production of alcohol, mostly from
biomass of sugarcane. Production was estimated to increase
so much that around 11 to 14 million cars will use alcohol
(with gasoline) by the year 2000. Recently about 30 thousand
tones of rape biofuel yearly is produced at the industrial
chemical factories in Poland . The important sources
investigated during last years from 1993 to 1996 included
rapeseed oil, rape methylester, bioethanol from potatoes,
sugar beet and wheat. Agricultural/forestry residues: Straw,
wood residues cut grass from landscape cultivation.
Already European countries mainly Italy, Germany and
Austria are leading in Biodiesel production nearing 500,000
tons in 1997 out of which 2,50,000 tonnes was produced in
France. (1) The production capacity of biodiesel in Germany
was fully utilized in 1997, the sold quantity amounting to
roughly 100,000 t. The technologies for producing bio-oil are
evolving rapidly with improving process performance, larger
yielding and better quality products. The present paper shall
discuss problem and strategies for use of biomass in
developing countries.
The liquid bioenergy carrier (RME) rapeseed oil fatty acid
methylester) is obtained from rapeseed. The advantage of
liquid energy sources are best utilized as fuel for motor
vehicles. RME can be used in conventional diesel engines in
cars as substitute for diesel fuel.
5 BIODIESEL PRODUCTION
A recent World Bank report concluded that “Energy policies
will need to be as concerned about the supply and use of
biofuels as they are about modern fuels (and) they must
support ways to use biofuels more efficiently and in
sustainable manner. Although there is significant volume of
biodiesel already produced in Europe there are remaining
risks slowing down the further expansion to the target set by
the European Commission to reach 5% market share in
transportation fuels by the year 2000” (5, 6, 7).
These risks are insecurity in raw material supply and prices,
doubts about adequate quality assurance and hesitance for a
wider acceptance by the Diesel engine manufacturers, mission
marketing strategies for targeting biodiesel differential
advantages into specific market niches and last not least
missing legal frame conditions similar to clean air act in the
USA.
5.1 Biomass as potential resources
Biomass resources are potentially the worlds largest and
sustainable energy source a renewable resource comprising
220 billion oven dry tones (about 4500 EJ) of annual primary
production. The annual bioenergy potential is about 2900 EJ
though only 270 EJ could be considered available on
sustainable basis and at competitive prices.
Most major energy scenarios recognize bioenergy as an
important component in the future worlds energy. Projections
indicate the biomass energy use to the range of 85 EJ to 215
EJ in 2025 compared to current global energy use of about
400 EJ of which 55 EJ are derived from biomass (2).
However in Indian scene the choice of plant has to be limited
to those plants which do not compete with the aerable land
requirement and Calotropis procera is one such plant which
can grow in wasteland. India has a land mass of
approximately 329 million ha. Approximately 175 million of
land is degraded land with productivity below its potential.
The present investigations suggest the optimal yield
conditions for Calotropis procera could improve its biomass
as well as yield potential.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
A financial support received from Department of
Biotechnology, Govt. of India, is gratefully acknowledged.
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14th European Biomass Conference, 17-21 October 2005, Paris, France
REFERENCES
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(3) Kumar, A and A. Tewari, 2004. Improving the Biofuel
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Conference - Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate
Protection, Vol II, 2544-2547.
(4) Kumar, A and A. Kotiya, 2004. Some Potential Plants for
Bio-energy. Proceedings of the 2nd World Biomass
Conference - Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate
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(5) Hall, D.O., and P.J. De Groot. 1986. Plant photosynthesis
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Congress on Renewable Energy Sources (Terol Sed) CSZC
Serrano Madrid, Spain. pp. 2-13.
(6) Grazybek, A., M. Rogulska and A. Roszkovski, 1996.
Rope biofuel production in Poland overview of actual
situation and perspectives: Chartier et al. 9Eds.). Biomass for
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Oxford pp. 343-348.
(7) Kaltschmitt, M. G.A. Reinhardt and T.N. Stelzer, 1996.
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