The chemical constituents and anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil from the leaf of Jatropha curcas L (Euphorbiaceae) collected from Nigeria are reported. The analysis of the chemical constituents of the essential oil was achieved by using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All constituents of the essential oil, namely neophytadiene (35.8%), phytol (23.1%), trans-pinane (12.7%), 6,10,14-trimethyl-2- pentadecanone (12:3%) and citronellyl propanoate (11.2%), were present in significant amounts. The anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf oil was determined on Wistar rats using egg-albumin as phlogistic agent; significant inhibition (P< 0.05) was shown at a dose of 2%, v/v. Percentage inhibition of the anti- inflammation increased steadily to 76.6% in the 4th hour.