Castor Oil
Castor oil, historically known as Oleum Palmae Christi, comes from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant and has been used therapeutically for centuries. No ricin is thought to remain in the oil and it would be inactivated during extraction due to heating of the oil.
Explore This Issue
ACEP Now: Vol 38 – No 03 – March 2019Castor oil is metabolized to ricinoleic acid, which is absorbed in the intestine. This acts as a strong laxative that has been used medicinally dating back to ancient cultures. Castor oil can also induce labor but has a poor safety profile and thus is not used clinically.
Treatment
There is no antidote and no specific treatment for ricin poisoning. The treatment is supportive for the organs affected.
Interesting Facts
The name Ricinus is a Latin word for tick because the seed of the plant has markings and a bump at the end that resemble certain ticks.
This plant is commonly regarded as one of the most poisonous in the world.
Four seeds can kill an average-sized adult, while ingestion of lesser amounts has resulted in gastrointestinal symptoms and convulsions.
Ricin is suspected to have been the poisonous agent used to assassinate Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian journalist who spoke out against the Bulgarian government, in 1978. He was stabbed with the point of an umbrella while waiting at a bus stop in London. His autopsy revealed a perforated metallic pellet embedded in his leg that presumably contained ricin.
It is advisable to keep children away from the castor bean plant or necklaces made with its seeds.
Ricin has been used experimentally in medicine to kill cancer cells.
Dr. Hack (Oleander Photography) is an emergency physician and medical toxicologist who enjoys taking photographs of beautiful toxic, medicinal, and benign flowers that he stumbles upon or grows in his garden. Contact him at ToxInRI@gmail.com.
Pages: 1 2 | Single Page
4 Responses to “Toxicology Q&A Answer: Castor Beans Can Kill, and the Oil Is Iffy, Too”
March 24, 2019
Arno Vosk, M.D.Nice, informative article. Where does the castor plant grow?
August 29, 2020
Conny Huthsteiner, MDI grows in southern climates, grows wild here in Los Angeles, if it starts somewhere.
December 19, 2021
EdwinThank you doctor for the information. However, does application of castor oil on a Kaposi’s Sacoma leg help in treating KS?
April 7, 2019
Steven Marcus, MDThe literature showing that ingestion of any amount of castor beans causing death is all old and “iffy” at best. It certainly can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and 70 years ago, without adequate methods for hydration, there were deaths reported.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of exposures to the bean by various routes, each year, and to my knowledge, no deaths.
Death from ricin has been reported anecdotally, as the result of injection of the substance. The murder of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov by the KGB is always used as an example. There have been other attempts at weaponizing ricin, but to my knowledge, and my attempt to search the literature, I have never been able to find any reliable reports.
Let us continue to consider the plant and seeds as potential poisons, not as confirmed ones, except in a few rare situations.