In the 2000s, one species, Jatropha curcas, generated interest as an oil crop for biodiesel production and also medicinal importance when used as lamp oil; native Mexicans in the Veracruz area developed by selective breeding a Jatropha curcas variant lacking the toxic compounds, yielding a better income when used as source for biodiesel, because of its edible byproduct.

Buddha belly plant (J. podagrica) was used to tan leather and produce a red dye in Mexico and the southwestern United States.

It is also a biomass feedstock to power electricity plants or to produce biogas, and a high-quality organic fertilizer.

[12] However, despite their abundance and use as oil and reclamation plants, none of the Jatropha species have been properly domesticated and, as a result, their productivity is variable, and the long-term impact of their large-scale use on soil quality and the environment is unknown.

[13] 2009 research found that Jatropha biodiesel production requires significantly more water than other common biofuel crops, and that initial yield estimates were high.

[14] Earlier, higher estimates from Worldwatch Institute had suggested that 1 acre of cultivation could yield 202 gallons (4.8 barrels) of biodiesel.

[18] It continues to be used as a medicine in certain geographic regions; however one study found the dried leaf to have no anti-fungal activity.