[Toxicology of Castor Bean Plant/Ricin]

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the research1

The purpose of the study:2

Research objectives:2

Aim and Objective3

Problem Statement3

CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW4

Castor4

Plants toxic latex5

Castor bean plant6

Location and chemical nature8

Toxicity in different species9

Federal Star12

Croton12

Poisoning by paradise12

Pokeweed poisoning13

Plants that have ranunculina13

Poisoning by comrade14

Treatment15

Oropharyngeal cavity16

Induced vomiting and gastric lavage16

Skin17

Dehydration17

Control of the inflammatory reaction and analgesia18

Nervous disorders19

Antibiotic19

CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY21

Develop a methodology for the identification of ricin intoxication.22

The main provisions of which are taken to protect:23

CHAPTER 04: DISCUSSION25

Poisoning drugs33

Castor bean plant36

Toxicity in different species37

Current Situation38

Threats arising from the use of ricin38

Styles of ricin39

Mechanism of action39

Influence pharmacokinetics and clinical effects in animals and humans40

Laboratory identification42

Immunity43

Personal protective equipment and decontamination43

Treatment44

CHAPTER 05: CONCLUSION45

REFERENCES47

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION

Background of the research

For millennia mankind has cultivated the castor plant (Ricinus communis L.) for the oil found in its seed. The average castor seed can contain up to 60% oil by weight, and most of that oil is in the form of ricinoleic acid (Fig. 1.1).

This unique fatty acid imparts properties to castor oil that make it unique among plant seed oils. The characteristics of castor oil make it useful for a wide range of industrial applications. Unfortunately the endosperm of castor seed contains relatively large amounts of the deadly toxin, ricin (RCA60), as well as the hemeagglutinin Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA120) and 2S albumins that are known to cause allergic reactions. Deaths from ricin handling are most commonly the result of anaphylaxis caused by allergic reactions with the 2S albumins (Chen et al., 2004). However, the presence of ricin is commonly highlighted due to its highly toxic nature. In short, even though ricin is not the source of most of the deaths from castor exposure, its presence still provides a perceived nation security issue. Therefore a comprehensive study regarding ricin content within the castor plant is needed. The castor plant is a member of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).

The purpose of the study:

Pharmacological and toxicological characterization of ricin and study the features of the mechanism of its action.

Research objectives:

To study the parameters of acute toxicity of ricin in tests on Labra-tornyh animals, to compare the symptoms of intoxication ricin, PHA and bacterial toxins.

Conduct a histochemical study of the internal organs with toxic ricin.

Investigate the effect of ricin on the cytotoxic and proliferative activity of mononuclear lymphocytes and cytokine production by blood lymphocytes.

Aim and Objective

The aim of the research is to discuss the considering the toxicological evaluation to determine whether the pollen of R. communis is toxic for the honey bees.

Problem Statement

Castor has been bred by mankind for many centuries to produce a more suitable crop for cultivation. Wild-type castor can grow as tall as 12 meters; however, contemporary industrial cultivars have been bred to have shortened internodes and typically grow to around one meter tall to allow for machine harvesting (Brigham, 1993). Wild type castor also suffers from shattering (undesirable dehiscence) wherein as the fruit ripens, the seed is spontaneously scattered or drops to the ground. This renders the seed unharvestable by mechanical ...