Jatropha curcas Linn. leaves are used in the traditional system of medicine for the treatment of hepatopathy, antidysentric, anthelmentic, depurative and purgative, chronic rheumatism, skin diseases, lactoguage, suppurative, styptic, toothache, gastropathy, bronchitis, chronic diarrhoehe present study describes the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract of leaves of Jatropha curcas against CCl4- induced acute hepatic injury. Hepatic injury was achieved by injecting 2 ml/kg, s.c. of CCl4 in 1:1 with olive oil. Aqueous extracts at the dose 200 mg /kg p.o. offered significant (p < 0.01) hepatoprotective action by reducing the serum marker enzymes like serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP) , serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum bilirubin, and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT). Histopathological studies further confirmed the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract of Jatropha curcas leaves when compared with the CCl4 treated control groups. Reduced enzymic were restored to normal by administration of aqueous extracts of leaves of Jatropha curcas. The results obtained were compared with Liv.-52 (5 ml/kg, p.o.), the standard drug. In conclusion, aqueous extracts (200 mg/kg, p.o.) showed significant hepatoprotective activity similar to that of the standard drug, Liv-52 (5 ml/kg, p.o.).