5 It is a glycoprotein lectin composed of 2 chains, A and B, linked by a disulfide bond. 3 Purified ricin is a white powder that is soluble in water and stable over a wide pH range.
Reports on the ricin content of castor beans vary, but it is probably in the range of 1% to 5%. Ingested castor beans are generally toxic only if the ricin is released through mastication. No ricin is thought to remain in the oil, and it is inactivated during extraction if done under heated conditions. Ricin is contained in the bean pulp following the separation of the oil from the beans. The seed is only toxic if the outer shell is broken or chewed. 2 The beans are oblong and light brown, mottled with dark brown spots.
Ricinus communis is a perennial, erect, branched, herb, typically less than 2 meters in height. It grows in tropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world and is becoming an abundant weed in the southwestern United States. 1 The castor plant is native to the Ethiopian region of east Africa. The castor oil plant ( Ricinus communis L), is a plant species of the family Euphorbiaceae and the sole member of the genus Ricinus and of the subtribe Ricininae.
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