Botany
· A coarse, erect, branched, smooth, somewhat woody bush, 1 to 4 m high. Younger parts glaucous and vegetative parts and inflorescence green or purplish.
· Leaves: smooth, alternate, palmately-divided, and 20 to 60 cm in width, the lobes oblong and toothed.
· Flowers: in racemes which are stout and erect. Male flowers about 1 cm in diameter. Calyx thin, splitting into 3 to 5 segments. Stamens very numerous, filaments variously connate in branching clusters. Female flowers: calyx spathe-like, caducous. Ovary 3-celled.
· Fruits: capsules, ovoid, 1 to 1.5 cm long, green or purplish and covered with soft spinelike processes.

Distribution
In open waste places near settled areas.

Parts utilized
· Roots, leaves, seeds.
· The leaves and seeds, externally; the oil, both internal and external.
· Collected year-round, but seeds are best collected from May to August.

Properties
Roots plain-tasting, neutral-natured; leaves and stems sweet-pungent tasting, neutral natured, slightly toxic.
Seeds are exceedingly pungent in taste, warming-natured,
Soothes and regulates the gastrointestinal tract.
Antidote, antiphlogistic, antirheumatic.

Constituents
Fixed oil, 49-85%; ricin; ricinin; ricinus lipase.
Castor seeds is the source of castor oil, with its variety of uses.
Seeds contain between 40% to 60% oil, rich in triglycerides, mainly ricinolein.
Seed coat contains ricin, a toxin, also found in lesser concentration throughout the plant.

Uses
Folkloric
· Rheumatic arthritis, paralysis; epilepsy; distention of the uterus, prolapsus ani: drink dried root decoction or poultice Bai-hui pt (GV-20) with pounded seed or leaf material.
· Difficult partus, non-lowering of the fetus (during delivery): poultice Yungchuan Pt (K-1 pt) with pounded fresh leaves.
· Lymph node TB; facial paralysis: poultice with pounded seeds (seed coat removed). If the paralytic side is on the left side of the face, apply poultice on the left.
· Wound caused by piercing with pointed objects (nails, bamboo slats, bullet wound): use pounded fresh seed and apply as poultice.
· Milk stimulation: Pound leaves and apply over breast as poultice.
· Skin ulcers: Boil pounded leaves and use as wash.
· Bark of castor plant also sued as dressing for ulcers and sores.
· Seed oil is laxative and vermicide; also used as ear drops to hardened cerumen. Also used for warts.
· Milk stimulation: Pound leaves and apply over breast as poultice.
· Hemorrhoids: Roast seed, pound, and apply to affected area.
· Dosage: dried roots 15 to 30 gms in decoction.
· Seed paste applied to wounds and itch for 4-5 days.
Others
· As far back as 4000 BC, its slow burning seed oil was used to fuel lamps.
• The seed oil of RC and its primary constituent, ricinoleic acid are used in the manufacture of skin-conditioning agents, as emulsion stabilizers and surfactants in cosmetics.In lipstick, castor oil is used at 81% concentration.
• Castor oil is classified by the FDA as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) and effective as a stimulant laxative.

Toxicity !
No part of the plant, except for the oil, is for internal use. The seeds contain Ricinin (C8H8O2N2) and Ricin which has blood coagulating property and may cause poisoning if taken orally. Three seeds is enough to kill a child. Boiling the seeds for 2 hours or more removes the toxic principle.

Studies
• Antioxidant / Antiinflammatory: (1) Study of the methanolic extract of RC in Wistar albino rats showed significant radical scavenging activity and significant anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced hind paw edema. The pharmacologic effects were attributed to the presence of phytochemicals like flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins. (2) Study showed R communis inhibited both the primary and secondary phases of adjuvant arthritis, but less than betamethasone.
• Antifertility: (1) Study of ethanol extracts of R communis in male rats showed a drastic reduction in sperm counts, alteration in motility, movement and morphology. These antifertility effect was reversible and without hepatotoxicity. (2) RCE showed a reversible negative impact on male reproductive functions, probably mediated via gonadal disruption in testosterone secretion.
• Antidiabetic: Study of ethanolic extract of roots of RC showed significant antihyperglycenic activity with a high margin of safety with not mortality. Results suggest a promising potential for a potent phytomedicine for diabetes.
• Hepatoprotective: Study of the leaf extract of EC showed significant protection against galactosamine-induced hepatic damage. It showed marked choleretic activity and an anticholestatic effect against paracetamol-induced cholestasis.
• Other studies on castor oil extract has shown tumor suppression in rats. A methanol extract study showed anti-implantation, antinociceptive, estrogenic activities in rats and mice.
• Immobilized Lectin: A glycoprotein lectin from R communis was immobilized using concanavalin A. The immobilzation technique could prove an important tool for the study of receptor hormone and antibody-antigen interactions.
• Castor Bean Polymer Biocompatibility: The polyurethane derived from castor beans (Ricinus communis) has a favorable formulation with regards processing, flexibility, no emission of toxic vapors and low cost. A study showed castor bean polymer implant was biocompatible; the implant did not induce bone neoformation.
• Antibacterial: The study on water and alcohol extract of dry seeds of R communis showed significant activity against K pneumonia, E coli, P vulgaris, S aureus. The active antimicrobial ingredients remained to be identified.
• Cytotoxic / Apoptosis-Inducing: A study of the volatile extract from R communis leaves yielded three monoterpenoids: 1,8-cineole, camphor and alpha-pinene and a sesquiterpenoid, ß-caryophyllene. The leaf extract showed to be dose-dependently cytotoxic to several human tumor cell lines. Apoptosis was induced in SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cells. The results provide further insight into the potential use of naturally occuring terpenoids as inducers of apoptosis in cancer cells.
• Antiulcer: Study showed R communis-treated rats showed a tendency towards reduced acid secretion, lowering gastric acidity, and dose-dependent decrease in ulcer index.

Availability
Wild-crafted.