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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.
The fruit is a spiny, greenish (to reddish-purple) capsule containing large, oval, shiny, bean-like, highly poisonous seeds with variable brownish mottling. Castor seeds have a warty appendage called the caruncle, which is a type of elaiosome. The caruncle promotes the dispersal of the seed by ants (myrmecochory).
castor oil plant, castor bean, Palma Christi Euphorbiaceae: The seeds contain ricin, an extremely toxic and water-soluble ribosome-inactivating protein; it is also present in lower concentrations in other parts of the plant. Also present are ricinine, an alkaloid, and an irritant oil.
Castor bean Also known as palma Christi, fatal even in small amounts [3] [16] Robinia pseudoacacia: Black locust Also known as false acacia [3] [4] Romulea: Known poisonous species include Romulea longifolia (Guildford grass) and R. rosea (onion grass or onion weed) [10] [22] Rudbeckia laciniata: Goldenglow, coneflower, or thimbleweed [8] Senecio
Castor oil is a type of vegetable oil produced by pressing the seeds of the castor bean plant. It’s been used for thousands of years in traditional and folk medicine to treat a range of issues ...
Poison oak is a leafy shrub that grows in shady areas of your yard where it can reach six feet in height. The leaves and stems of the western poison oak plant (Toxicodendron) can release an oil ...
Children, being smaller than adults, are more susceptible to poisoning by plants and seeds. [64] A deadly poison, ricin, comes from seeds of the castor bean. Reported lethal doses are anywhere from two to eight seeds, [65] [66] though only a few deaths have been reported when castor beans have been ingested by animals. [67]
If you’re unfamiliar, castor oil is a vegetable oil that’s extracted from the seeds of the castor bean plant, a type of shrub found in Africa, South America, and India.