Plant Ricinus Communis Research Articles

INTEGRATION OF GENOTYPES OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) AND PLANT POWDERS AGAINST Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE)

The objective of this study was to determine the combined effect of maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes with the application of epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides L.), castor oil plant (Ricinus communis L.), Mexican pepperleaf (Piper auritum Kunth), moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.), neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.), and Pacific Coast mahogany (Swietenia humilis Zucc.) as an alternative to control the maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky). It was hypothesized that combining certain maize genotypes with specific plant powders would significantly reduce S. zeamais damage without affecting germination. Three bioassays were conducted. In the first, the biological activity of six plant powders to control weevil populations and their impact on seed germination was evaluated; in the second, the effect of the hardness of three maize hybrids and the “Ancho Pozolero” variety on weevil was determined; and in the third, the interaction between genotypes and the most effective powders was explored. With five replicates per treatment and a control without application, 100 g of maize and 1 % plant powder were placed in 250 mL glass containers using a fully randomized design. Mortality, emergence, insect damage, and maize germination were assessed. In the evaluation of plant powders, D. ambrosioides and S. humilis stood out for their insecticidal and insectistatic effects and protection of maize, although they affected germination by 6.5 and 7.2 %, respectively. P. auritum showed good insecticidal and insectistatic effects without affecting germination. The hybrid “Tlaoli Puma,” classified as hard, reduced the damage caused by S. zeamais by one third. The combination of the hybrid “Tlaoli Puma” with 1 % plant powder of D. ambrosioides or S. humilis reduced the chances of attack and damage by S. zeamais, contributing to reducing post-harvest losses of stored maize and thus validating the hypothesis.

Influence some Environmental Parameters on Growth, Physiological and Chemical Properties of Ricinus communis plant at some Al Gabl Al Khder Regions, Libya

This study focused on Ricinus communis plants collected from two distinct regions—Al-Bayda and Derna—located in the Al Gabal Al Akhder mountain range in Libya. The objective was to compare various chemical and physiological parameters of the plants from these two locations. Parameters such as leaf area, fresh and dry leaf weight, tree diameter, plant height, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, and starch content were analyzed. Additionally, the levels of certain metals and minerals in both plant and soil samples were assessed. The results revealed differences in physiological traits like plant height and leaf area between the two regions. These variations were attributed primarily to environmental factors, including differences in temperature, pressure, location, and soil composition.

Positive Effects of Growth Retardants on Castor (Ricinus communis L.)

The perennial growth habit of castor plants (Ricinus communis L.) limits mechanical harvest because the plant grows very tall, when the environmental conditions are favorable and produces green flush interfering with mechanical harvesting. In order to prevent excessive growth plant growth, retardant are applied to modifying crop architecture. Present investigation was designed to study the effect of growth retardants on growth and yield parameters. The experiment was conducted at the regional agricultural research station, Palem farm of Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University, Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, taking locally available tall variety PCH-111. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replicates in Kharif, 2019. Treatments comprises of water spray, ethrel@500 ppm, ethrel@1000 ppm, CCC@1.5ml/lit, CCC@2.0 ml/lit and CCC@2.5 ml/lit and sprayings were done at expanding leaf in the 6th node of the primary stem, expanding leaf on the 8th node of the primary stem, appearance of the first inflorescence, one expanding leaf in a secondary stem after the appearance of the first inflorescence, and appearance of the second inflorescence. Results revealed that, plant growth retardants are effective in reducing plant height, whereas no spray recorded significant superior value for plant height (70.73 cm). For leaf number, there is no much deviations though ethrel treatment enhanced senescence in older leaves, newly developed leaves compensated the number but there was reduction in LAI, which were 1.70 and 2.18, respectively, in ethrel spray of 1000 ppm and 500 ppm. The yield reduction is lower in ethrel treatment due to lower capsule formation and lower spike length at higher concentration of ethrel. Hence, it is concluded that, retardant accelerates natural senescence and thus, acting as defoliants overcoming difficulties in mechanical harvesting.

QTL mapping and candidate gene mining of seed size and seed weight in castor plant (Ricinus communis L.).

Castor (Ricinus communis L., 2n = 2x = 20) is an important industrial crop, due to its oil is very important to the global special chemical industry. Seed size and seed weight are fundamentally important in determining castor yield, while little is known about it. In this study, QTL analysis and candidate gene mining of castor seed size and seed weight were conducted with composite interval mapping (CIM), inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM) and marker enrichment strategy in 4 populations, i.e., populations F2, BC1, S1-1 and S1-2, derived from 2 accessions with significant phenotypic differences. In the QTL primary mapping, 2 novel QTL clusters were detected in marker intervals RCM520-RCM76 and RCM915-RCM950. In order to verify their accuracy and to narrow their intervals, QTL remapping was carried out in populations F2 and BC1. Among them, 44 and 30 QTLs underlying seed size and seed weight were detected in F2 population using methods CIM and ICIM-ADD respectively, including 4-9 and 3-5 ones conferring each trait were identified with a phenotypic variation explained ranged from 37.92 to 115.81% and 32.86-45.98% respectively. The remapping results in BC1 population were consistent with those in F2 population. Importantly, 3 QTL clusters (i.e. QTL-cluster1, QTL-cluster2 and QTL-cluster3) were found in marker intervals RCM74-RCM76 (37.1kb), RCM930-RCM950 (259.8kb) and RCM918-RCM920 (172.9kb) respectively; in addition, all of them were detected again, the former one was found in the S1-2 population, and the latter two were found simultaneously in the populations S1-1 and S1-2. Finally, 6 candidate genes (i.e. LOC8266555, LOC8281168, LOC8281151, LOC8259066, LOC8258591 and LOC8270077) were screened in the above QTL clusters, they were differentially expressed in multiple seed tissues of both parents, signifying the potential role in regulating seed size and seed weight. The above results not only provide new insights into the genetic structure of seed size and seed weight in castor, but also lay the foundation for the functional identification of these candidate genes.

Characterization of novel cellulosic fiber extracted from agro-waste of Ricinus communis plant for sustainable green composite materials

Characterization of novel cellulosic fiber extracted from agro-waste of Ricinus communis plant for sustainable green composite materials

The Search for Antidotes Against Ricin.

The castor plant (Ricinus communis) is primarily known for its seeds, which contain a unique fatty acid called ricinoleic acid with several industrial and commercial applications. Castor seeds also contain ricin, a toxin considered a chemical and biological warfare agent. Despite years of investigation, there is still no effective antidote or vaccine available. However, some progress has been made, and the development of an effective treatment may be on the horizon. To provide an updated overview of this issue, we have conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on the current state of research in the fight against ricin. This review is based on the reported research and aims to address the challenges faced by researchers, as well as highlight the most successful cases achieved thus far. Our goal is to encourage the scientific community to continue their efforts in this critical search.

Neutralization of ricin toxin on building interior surfaces using liquid decontaminants.

Ricin is a highly toxic protein, capable of inhibiting protein synthesis within cells, and is produced from the beans of the Ricinus communis (castor bean) plant. Numerous recent incidents involving ricin have occurred, many in the form of mailed letters resulting in both building and mail sorting facility contamination. The goal of this study was to assess the decontamination efficacy of several commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) cleaners and decontaminants (solutions of sodium hypochlorite [bleach], quaternary ammonium, sodium percarbonate, peracetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide) against a crude preparation of ricin toxin. The ricin was inoculated onto four common building materials (pine wood, drywall joint tape, countertop laminate, and industrial carpet), and the decontaminants were applied to the test coupons using a handheld sprayer. Decontamination efficacy was quantified using an in-vitro cytotoxicity assay to measure the quantity of bioactive ricin toxin extracted from test coupons as compared to the corresponding positive controls (not sprayed with decontaminant). Results showed that decontamination efficacy varied by decontaminant and substrate material, and that efficacy generally improved as the number of spray applications or contact time increased. The solutions of 0.45% peracetic acid and the 20,000-parts per million (ppm) sodium hypochlorite provided the overall best decontamination efficacy. The 0.45% peracetic acid solution achieved 97.8 to 99.8% reduction with a 30-min contact time.

Deciphering the Molecular Mechanism of the Intermediate Secondary Growth and Internode Elongation of the Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L.) by the Combined Analysis of the Transcriptome and Metabolome.

The length of internodes plays a crucial role in determining the height of the castor plant (Ricinus communis L.). However, the specific mechanisms underlying internode elongation, particularly in the main stem of the castor plant, remain uncertain. To further investigate this, we conducted a study focusing on the internode tissue of the dwarf castor variety 071113, comparing it with the control high-stalk Zhuansihao. Our study included a cytological observation, physiological measurement, transcriptome sequencing, and metabolic determination. Our integrated findings reveal that the dwarf variety 071113 undergoes an earlier lignification development in the main stem and has a more active lignin synthesis pathway during internode intermediate development. In addition, the dwarf variety exhibited lower levels of the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which had an impact on the development process. Furthermore, we identified specific enzymes and regulators that were enriched in the pathways of the cell cycle, auxin signal transduction, and secondary cell wall synthesis. Using these findings, we developed a model that explained the intermediate secondary growth observed in castor internode elongation and enhanced our comprehension of the dwarfing mechanism of the 071113 variety. This research provides a theoretical groundwork for the future breeding of dwarf castor varieties.

Antibacterial activity of Ricinus communis plant extract against antibiotic resistant Helicobacter pylori and Gluconobacter oxydans isolated from fresh apple juices samples.

Bacteria were isolated from samples of Fresh Apple juices from shops of three different localities of Lahore. Analysis of samples from Liberty, Anarkali and Yateem khana Markets show different levels of contamination. There were pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria in all samples and were identified by the morphological and biochemical tests. Most of the plasmids of pathogenic bacteria were 4kb in their molecular size. Ribotyping of 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was done to confirm Helicobacter pylori strain and Gluconobacter oxydans. The highest sensitivity of 210mm was shown by Enterobacter sp. against Aztheromysine disk (15µg) while Micrococcus sp. was highly resistant against all of the Antibiotics applied. The antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria was also checked against Ricinus communis plant's extracts, all isolated bacterial pathogens were resistant but only, E.coli was inhibited at 300µl of the extracts. Presence of pathogenic bacteria in Apple juice samples was due to contamination of sewage water in drinking water while some of these pathogenic bacteria came from Apple's tree and other from store houses of fruits.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 invitro potential of castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) leaf extract: in-silico virtual evidence.

Ricinus communis L. is a medicinal plant that displays valuable pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, analgesic, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. This study targeted to isolate and identify some constituents of R.communis leaves using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS) and different chromatographic techniques. In vitro anti-MERS and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity for different fractions and for two pure isolated compounds, lupeol (RS) and ricinine (RS1) were evaluated using a plaque reduction assay with three different mechanisms and IC50 based on their cytotoxic concentration (CC50) from an MTT assay using Vero E6 cell line. Isolated phytoconstituents and remdesivir are assessed for in-silico anti-COVID-19 activity using molecular docking tools. The methylene chloride extract showed pronounced virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2 (IC50=1.76 μg/ml). It was also shown that ricinine had superior potential activity against SARS-CoV-2, (IC50=2.5 μg/ml). Lupeol displayed the most potency against MERS, (IC50=5.28 μg/ml). Ricinine appeared to be the most biologically active compound. The study showed that R.communis and its isolated compounds have potential natural virucidal activity against SARS-COV-2; however, additional exploration is necessary and study for their invivo activity.

In Vitro Assessment of Aqueous Extracts of Castor Plant (Ricinus communis) against Root-Knot Nematodes (Genus Meloidogyne) Infecting Tomato

Root-knot nematodes represent a real problem for tomato cultivation throughout the world. The aim of this study was to develop a method of controlling root-knot nematodes with aqueous extracts of castor bean, and to evaluate the effect of these extracts on these agents. Firstly, a sampling which consisted of taking the roots presenting galls and the soil was carried out in a tomato plantation in the region of Tchologo (Côte d'Ivoire) more precisely at Camp Agropastoral Sika (CapSIKA). The analysis carried out showed that there is a significant difference between the number of nematodes in the soil and in the roots of the samples taken, (p-value0.05). A large number of nematodes were observed in the roots compared to the soil. Then, the extracted nematodes were used for a pathogenicity test to verify their involvement in the appearance of galls in tomato roots. Galls were observed on inoculated tomato plants following this test. Subsequently, the individuals were exposed to the aqueous extract of castor bean (Ricinus communis) at concentrations of 100, 75, 50 and 25%, the control group was not brought into contact with the aqueous extract of castor bean. Mortality and immobility rates were determined. A significant difference between the number of immobile and dead individuals in the extracts (P0.05) was obtained following the statistical analyses. The results made it possible to show the nematicidal nature of the aqueous extract of castor bean under controlled conditions (in vitro). This extract could be used for the control of Meloidogyne after testing its effectiveness in open fields.

Monitoring and exposure assessment of ricinine in castor plant-based foods and dietary supplements

Ricinine, a toxic compound found in castor plants (Ricinus communis), causes abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Castor leaves and castor oil-based dietary supplements are commonly consumed, but their ricinine content has not been evaluated for safety. This study aimed to determine the ricinine concentration in these products and to evaluate the ricinine exposure level from their consumption. The developed method combines the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) technique and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). A matrix-matched calibration method for castor leaves is then proposed, which demonstrates high linearity over a wide concentration range (50–1000 µg/kg; r2 > 0.995). The intraday and interday accuracies ranged from 93.6% to 113.7%; the precisions were within 10%. The limits of detection and quantitation were ≤ 8.9 µg/kg and ≤ 26.9 µg/kg, respectively, and this validated method was successfully applied to commercial castor plant-based products. Ricinine exposure from the consumption of these foods was estimated to be 0.0001–0.2792 µg/kg body weight/day. This study assesses the safety of castor plant-based food products and could help prevent potential health risks associated with ricinine consumption.

Analysis of the Physiological Response and Reactive Oxygen Species in Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus Communis) in the Phytoremediation Processes with Plant Growth Promoter Bacteria (PGPB).

In the phytoremediation processes of mine tailings with Ricinus communis inoculated with PGPB, it was found that the Serratia K120 bacterium favors the translocation of Al, As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Mn to the aerial part of the plant, with a significant difference (p < 0.05) concerning for the control. The bioaccumulation factor (BF) was > 1 in Al with all the bacteria, Pb, Serratia K120, Fe, Pantoea 113, Cu, Pb, Cd, Mn in Serratia MC119 and Serratia K120, Fe and As in Serratia K120 and Pantoea 134, indicating that Ricinus communis inoculated with PGPB functions as a hyper accumulating plant. The PGPB help to reduce the stress in the plants generated by the heavy metals, decreasing the H2O2, and increasing the activity of the enzymes SOD, CAT, APX, POX, and GR, for which the bacteria Serratia K120 and Pantoea 113 can be used as bioinoculants to favor phytoremediation processes.

Nano palladium/palladium oxide formulation using Ricinus communis plant leaves for antioxidant and cytotoxic activities

Nano palladium/palladium oxide formulation using Ricinus communis plant leaves for antioxidant and cytotoxic activities

Castor Plant Adaptation to Salinity Stress during Early Seedling Stage by Physiological and Transcriptomic Methods

The early seedling stage is considered the most vulnerable period for plants, especially under salinity conditions. The castor plant (Ricinus communis) is a well-known oil and energy crop worldwide that can survive under stressful conditions. However, the specific mechanisms of this species during its early seedling stage under salt stress are still not clearly understood. Here, the physiological and transcriptome changes in the cotyledons and roots of the castor plant were evaluated. The results indicated that salt stress (150 mM NaCl, 6 d) increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline content, whereas it decreased dry weight (DW) and soluble sugar content. The Illumina Hiseq 2500 platform was used to analyze transcriptome profiles in the cotyledons and roots under salt stress conditions. The results showed that 1580 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the cotyledons (880 upregulated and 700 downregulated) and 1502 DEGs in the roots (732 upregulated and 770 downregulated). Furthermore, we found that salt stress significantly regulated 22 genes (e.g., 29520.t000005, 29633.t000030, and 29739.t000024) involved in protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum of the cotyledons. However, salt stress induced the expression of 25 genes (e.g., 30068.t000101, 30076.t000022, 29970.t000022, and 29957.t000027) involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in the roots. In addition, a large number of genes participating in plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolisms, and arginine and proline metabolisms were induced in both cotyledons and roots. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the different expression patterns in cotyledons and roots as well as their synergic relationship contributed to enhancing the salt tolerance of castor plants.

Castor Plant (Ricinus communis L.) Leaf Extract as Potential Antibacterial Against The Growth of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Highlight : Patients experiencing failure of first-line drug and developing multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has increased throughout 2011-2015. Castor plant leaf extract (Ricinus communis L.) has an antibacterial potential against the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the cause of pulmonary tuberculosis that can reduce human health. In the therapy of the disease, patients can develop resistance to tuberculosis drugs. Based on the 2015 health profiles of Indonesia, 15,380 people were suspected to have multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), while 1,860 people were confirmed patients with MDR-TB. There is a need for innovation to develop the latest treatments using natural ingredients, one of which is castor plant (Ricinus communis L.) that contains antibacterial compounds against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This study aimed to understand the antimicrobial potential of castor plant (Ricinus communis L.) leaf extract against the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This scientific paper was a quantitative systematic review study. Literature in the form of journal articles and books were obtained through search engines, i.e. ebook database, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Wiley, and PubMed. The results of the literature source search were 19 journal articles and 4 ebooks, as well as 4 journal articles that were in accordance with the title of this literature review and discussed the effects of castor plants on the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The results of the analysis showed that castor plant (Ricinus communis L.) leaf extract has the potential in the antibacterial activity against the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis because it contains phytochemicals in the form of flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, and fatty acid amides derived from ricinoleic acid as the main constituent of castor plants (Ricinus communis L.). There is antimicrobial potential for castor plant (Ricinus communis L.) leaf extract against the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Use of Ricinus communis shredded material as filler in rotational molded parts to improve the bio-disintegration behavior

This paper focuses on the use of castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) as filler in rotomolded parts using polyethylene (PE) and polylactic acid (PLA) as polymer matrixes. The vegetable shredded material was used in 5 and 10% weight following a dry blending procedure and then rotomolded to obtain cube test parts. This material was characterized to determine its chemical composition, thermal stability, and structure. The NaOH-treated material shows reduced hemicellulose content and higher thermal stability. Obtained composite materials were characterized in terms of mechanical (tensile, flexural, and impact) and thermal properties, morphology, and bio-disintegration behavior. The use of Ricinus as filler in rotomolded PE composite decreases, in general terms, mechanical properties of neat PE, while no significant changes in thermal or bio-disintegration properties are found. On the contrary, PLA composites show higher tensile strength and similar Young's modulus than the matrix, although with reduced flexural and impact properties. Alkali-treated Ricinus material produces parts with higher porosity and thus, lower mechanical properties than composites with untreated material. Finally, the incorporation of this vegetal material modifies to a great extent the thermal properties of the PLA matrix. The bio-disintegration rate increases due to the use of fibers, probably because of the higher moisture absorption of composites.

Yield and oil content of castor oil plant (Ricinus communis L.) accessions grown with fertigation in a semiarid zone

Objective: To evaluate seed, dry matter, and oil content yield in five accessions of castor oil plant (Ricinus communis L.) in the Altiplano Potosino Zacatecano high plateau region of Mexico, grown with a fertigation system on a mixture of sand, tezontle, and compost, with three fertilization levels.Design/Methodology/Approach: The following accessions showed an outstandingly favorable response to fertilization: ZACS2C1 (Orito Zac) which had the greater seed yield (735 g) and oil content (50.30 ± 5.23); and SLPS11C1 which had the greater weight per100 seeds (56.77 ±2.35) and dry matter (1600 g).Results: The best fertilization level for the abovementioned accessions was obtained with the low nutrient solution,Limitations/Implications of the study: while other accessions showed a variable and inverse response to the fertilization level. Results/Conclusions: To make the most of the castor oil plant, oil or fodder accessions can be selected or both accessions can be sown under an intercropping system.

Catalytic cracking of castor oil via microwave assisted method

Castor oil extracted from seeds of Ricinus Communis plant has an immense potential being used to yield valuable hydrocarbons with shorter chain length. Castor oil contains chemical structures of heavy hydrocarbons and long chains may undergo a cracking process which are similar to that as in petrochemical industries. However, cracking process requires extremely high temperature and energy input. This research came by with an attempt to reduce waste of energy using both microwave assisted method and modified metal catalyst, Zn/ZSM-5 to provide sufficient energy for cracking process to occur at comparatively low temperature. Wet impregnation method was used for Zn/ZSM-5 catalyst preparation and the experiments were carried out via microwave-assisted method. The microwave effect on the temperature and mass of condensate formed was investigated at three different output powers; 650, 700 and 750 W, under different Zn/ZSM-5 concentrations; 5, 8 and 10 wt% for 1 h. Results showed that cracking of castor oil is feasible at low temperature (<250 °C) using modified Zn/ZSM-5 via microwave assisted method. The highest yield of total mass of condensate (5.61%) was obtained from 750 W output power and 10 wt% Zn/ZSM-5 catalyst concentration. In addition, the highest cracking percentage (97.7%) was obtained from 750 W output power and 5 wt% Zn/ZSM-5 catalyst concentration. Valuable cracked compounds such as octane for fuel products and undecylenic acid for pharmaceutical uses were obtained.

Analytical determination of some mineral and trace elements in medicinal Castor plant (Ricinus communis L.) by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INNA) has been applied to determine some mineral and trace elements (As, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, K, La, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Tb, Th, and Zn) in Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae family), a precious medicinal shrub used in Asian and north African countries, to treat multiple diseases and illnesses. The precision of method was evaluated by analyzing the certified reference material GBW 07605 (GSV-4) Tea leaves. The INNA analysis shows that Ca and K were the most abundant minerals in R. communis, followed by Na and Fe. The average estimation of daily intake of some chemical elements through the ingestion of 10 g of dry powder day−1person−1 contributes partially to the daily requirements of some essential elements such as Ca, Cr, Fe, and K. Furthermore arsenic (As) concentration in this shrub was below the allowable limit value recommended by world health organization. These data can be valuable for pharmaceutical and industrial purposes.