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Ricinus communis Linn. is a rapidly growing perennial herb (aka Eranda or castor plant) that has long been used to cure a range of ailments in traditional medicine. An extensive search on its ethnomedicinal, phytochemistry, and pharmacotherapeutic potential is completed by meticulously examining information retrieved from Web of Science, PubMed, Sc...
Citations
... Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of aerial parts of M. communis showed analgesic effects and this may be mediated by opioid receptors [45]. R. communis shows potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity possibly by NF-kB, Nrf2, RAF/ERK, Fas receptor, and caspase-mediate apoptosis and Wnt signalling pathways [46]. Clinical studies in animal or human models prove the different analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the plants of this study, which are used in the traditional medicine of the region for back pain. ...
The diverse geographical regions of Iran have tribes with different cultures and customs in the medicinal use of plants in the control, prevention and treatment of diseases, and on this basis, to collect valuable ethnobotanical information in the field of medicinal plants, more studies are needed among different tribes. It is so that in the event of the death of people with this knowledge, their historical and experimental knowledge will not be forgotten. In this ethnobotanical and systematic study in the city of Ilam (western Iran), an attempt has been made to identify and report the use of medicinal plants native to this region in the treatment of back pain. Traditional therapeutic information about medicinal plants effective on back pain is done by ethnobotanical questionnaire. The complete list of herbal druggists in Ilam city was obtained from the Food and Drugs deputy, and the interviewer collected the required information personally by visiting each and every herbal druggists in Ilam city. The questionnaire included personal information and the names of native plants, the organ used, the method of use, and the effect of traditional treatment for back pain. Data analysis shows that 16 medicinal plants from 15 plant families are used in the treatment of back pain in Ilam. Medicinal plants Pistacia khinjuk, Amygdalus communis, Achillea biebersteinii, Amygdalus arabica, Pistacia atlantica, Thymbra spicata, Capsicum annuum, Biebersteinia multifida, Nigella sativa, Salvia rosmarinus, Hypericum helianthemoides, Calendula persica, Citrullus colocynthis, Zingiber officinale, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Nerium oleander, Myrtus communis and Ricinus communis are medicinal plants that are used in Ilam city to treat back pain. Based on the obtained results, it was found that the medicinal plant Achillea biebersteinii with usage report index (UR) of 14, relative frequency of citation (RFC) of 0.73 and percentage of frequency of use (PFU) of 53.8% is the most used in the treatment of back pain. Asteraceae plant family is the most used plant family. Leaf with 37% was the most used organ and decoction with 35% was the most traditional way of use. The presence of rich plant flora and medicinal species in Ilam city provides a suitable field for pharmacological research for better use and production of medicines and herbal products against back pain.
... Ricinine is a neurotoxic alkaloid found in both castor oil plant leaves and seeds, and the symptoms of ingestion include liver and kidney damage, vomiting, and convulsions, which can lead to death. Therefore, several studies have attempted to understand and evaluate how ricinine acts on the body [34][35][36]. Some studies have also used ricinine as a possible drug for the treatment of amnesia and anti-acetylcholinesterase activity [37][38][39] and in the control of pests such as Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and S. frugiperda [16,40,41]. ...
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a polyphagous insect of various agricultural crops. The methods used for its control have led to the selection of resistant insect populations, which justifies the search for new alternatives for the management of this insect. Accordingly, in the present study, trypsin inhibitors present in the leaf extract of Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) were investigated for their activity against S. frugiperda. Chemometric optimization methods were developed for the extraction, purification, identification, and structural characterization of the inhibitors. In addition, the effect of R. communis extract on S. frugiperda development was evaluated. Inhibitor extraction was chemometrically optimized, yielding an extract with an antitryptic activity of 94,837.14 mUIT g⁻¹. The R. communis extract was purified and found to contain two compounds (adenosine and ricinine) exhibiting trypsin inhibitor activity. However, after purification, only ricinine inhibited S. frugiperda trypsin in vitro (103.21 mUIT mg⁻¹). The extract was added to the diet of S. frugiperda larvae, resulting in reduced digestion, increased protein in the feces (control = 12,571 μg protein/mg feces; 1818.2 g mL⁻¹ = 16,867 μg protein/mg feces), and insect mortality. At the highest concentration, the treatment led to an LT50 of 15.9 days and a cumulative survival rate of 18.5%. Based on the results of this study, it is possible that ricinine binds to the catalytic site of trypsin, causing the mortality of S. frugiperda larvae.
