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Ricin (/ ˈ r aɪ s ɪ n / RY-sin) is a lectin (a carbohydrate-binding protein) and a highly potent toxin produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis.The median lethal dose (LD 50) of ricin for mice is around 22 micrograms per kilogram of body weight via intraperitoneal injection.
There was no ricin with which to poison London, only notes and 22 castor seeds. There was no one who even knew how to purify ricin. [3] On 17 August 2006, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray summed up: I spoke at the annual Stop the War conference a couple of months ago [and] referred to the famous ricin plot...
During the raid on the homes of a man and son in June 2009, a very small amount of ricin was allegedly found in a sealed jam jar kept in a kitchen cupboard. A father and son, Ian and Nicky Davison were arrested under the 2000 Terrorism Act. The arrests followed a long-running intelligence-led operation against extreme right-wing activity. [27]
According to the Guinness World Records, this is the world's most poisonous common plant. [22] If ricin is ingested, symptoms commonly begin within two to four hours, but may be delayed by up to 36 hours. These include a burning sensation in mouth and throat, abdominal pain, purging and bloody diarrhea.
It is known as SRL precisely because it is the target of both α-sarcin and ricin. Ricin is the best known representative of the ribosomal inactivating protein (RIP) family. [22] RIPs are also highly specialized toxic proteins produced by plants and fungi that inactivate ribosomes acting as N-glycosidases.
Ricin can be prepared easily in the kitchen by stirring the seed with an ionic exchanger and eluting from the filter with mannose-sugar. There is a lot of to tell about the medical problems regarding ricinus communis, e.g. the allergic reaction to the proein content.
Eventually, tea drinking became so popular in England that now it's hard to imagine British people doing anything other than politely enjoying their Earl Grey. So, you have Portugal to thank the ...
Is the density of ricin so low that a pinhead-sized amount (I assume on the order of 10^-9 m^3) weighs only 0.5 mg? Or does this refer to a different delivery mechanism than injection or inhalation? "Ricin is 6 billion times more toxic than cyanide and 12 billion times more poisonous than rattlesnake venom by weight." This seems very unlikely.