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Evaluation of the Antimicrobial and Phytochemical Properties
of Oil from Castor Seeds (Ricinus communis Linn)
Momoh, A.O*, Oladunmoye, M.K. and Adebolu,T.T.
Department of Microbiology,Federal University of Technology, Akure, P.M.B 704,Akure,Nigeria.
*Corresponding author’s E-mail-davemoh20@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of castor (Ricinus communis) seeds extracted using soxhlet extractor in 98% n-
hexane was assessed using in-vitro assay. Twenty microorganisms made up of fourteen bacteria and six fungi were used in
the bioassay. Comparatively, bacteria were found to be more susceptible than fungi. The minimum inhibitory concentration
(MIC) of the extract was found to range between 6.25 mg/ml and 12.50 mg/ml for bacteria while that of fungi ranged from
12.50mg/ml to 25.00mg/ml. Comparison of the antimicrobial efficacy of the extract and commercial antibiotics showed that
the latter were more potent against the test organisms with the exceptions of erythromycin, ampiclox and rifampin group for
Gram positive organisms and, septrin and ceporex group for Gram negative organisms respectively. The quantitative
phytochemical screening showed that tannin, phenol, alkaloid, phytate, oxalate, saponin, cyanogenic glycoside and flavonoid
were present in a decreasing order. The spectrophotometric data of the extract using ultraviolet radiation, infrared and H-
NMR as well as carbon 13 NMR showed the presence of various compounds such as cineole, 2- octanol, terpenene -4-ol,
limonene, sabinene, pinene, terpinene, and methyl groups in the oil.
Key words: antimicrobial, phytochemicals, castor oil, microorganisms.
INTRODUCTION
The oils of medicinal plants have been used for treatment of various ailments since men learnt the
art of extraction [1]. Clove oil for instance has been used for dental pain as an anodyne (painkiller),
as antihelmintic and as aromatherapy when warming of the digestive system is needed as far back
as 1721 BC [2].
Castor plant, Ricinus communis, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae.
Its seed is the castor bean which, despite its name, is not a true bean. Castor plant is indigenous to
the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa, and India, but is widespread throughout
tropical regions [3]. Although monotypic, the castor oil plant can vary greatly in its growth, habitat
and appearance. It is a fast-growing, suckering perennial shrub which can reach the size of a small
tree (around 12 metres / 39 feet). If sown early, under glass, and kept at a temperature of around
20 °C (68 °F) until planted out, the castor oil plant can reach a height of 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) in a
year. The flowers are borne in terminal panicle-like inflorescences of green or, in some varieties,
shades of red. The oil from the castor seed is colourless or faintly yellow, almost odorless, viscid
liquid, having a taste at first bland but subsequently avid and nauseating. It is fixed and dries very
slowly, having a specific gravity, 0.958. It is slightly dextrorotatory, about + 4o 301. It has a
refractive index, 1.4790 to 1.4805 and solidifies at -10o C to - 18oC. Its acidity is expressed as oleic
acid which is 1.5 percent. The oil extracted from the seed have been used in small doses in clinical
setting for numerous medical conditions such as liver and gallbladder disturbances, abscesses,
headaches, appendicitis, epilepsy, hemorrhoids, constipation, diarrhea, intestinal obstructions, skin
diseases, hyper activity in children and to avert threatened abortion in pregnant women [4,5,6].
Traditionally, the Ebira people in Kogi State of Nigeria use it for skin diseases, purgative, heal
irritated or inflammed nipples and to aid delivery in delayed expectant mothers. Although, much
has been documented on the uses of castor oil, there is no report on its antimicrobial activity. This
study therefore was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial and phytochemical properties of castor
oil.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Plant materials
Original Article
Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences
Online ISSN 2277 – 1808
Bull. Environ. Pharmacol. Life Sci.; Volume 1 [10] September 2012: 21 - 27
© All Rights Reserved Academy for Environment and Life Sciences, India
Website: www.
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22 | P a g e
The castor plant seeds used in this study were the white variety of the Ricinus communis L. This
was collected from a farm at Eika village, Okene, Kogi state, Nigeria.
Microorganisms used in the bioassay
The microorganisms used were obtained from the Microbiology Department, University of Ibadan
Teaching Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The Gram positive bacteria used include:
Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus faecium, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus
marcesene and Streptococcus mitis while the Gram negative used were Escherichia coli,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium,
Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus vulgaris. The fungi used are Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium
oxalicum, Candida albicans, Penicillium cinirium, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger.
Extraction of oil from the seeds
The soxhlet extraction of castor oil from 500g of castor seeds using one litre of n-hexane was done
according to the method of Odugbemi, [6].
Antimicrobial sensitivity testing of the extracted oil.
With the aid of a sterile pipette, 1ml of 18 hour old peptone broth culture of the test organism
cultured at 37˚C was added to 20ml sterile molten NA and PDA respectively which had already
cooled to 45oC. This was well-mixed and allowed to set. With the aid of sterile 4mm cork borer, 3
wells were bored on the agar surface. To each of the 2 wells was added 2 drops (0.4ml) of the oil
using Pasteur pipette aseptically. The well in the center was filled with same amount of sterile
distilled water to serve as control.
Antibiotic assay
The Optu-sensitivity discs were used for this assay. The discs were picked with sterile forceps and
placed on the surface of the solidified NA previously seeded with 106 an overnight bacterial culture.
The plates were incubated at 37oC for 24hours. The plates were then examined for clear zones of
inhibition of bacterial growth around the discs. The procedure was repeated for test fungi. The
antimycotic drug used was fulcin and incubation was done at 25oC for 5 days. The results were
then compared with that of oil extract.
Minimum inhibitory concentration determination
The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the method described by
Olutiola et al. [7]. Standardization of inoculum size was determined using spectrophotometer and
the plate count method. Different concentration of the extract were prepared at 25, 12.5, 6.25 and
3.1mg/ml, and 5ml of an 18hour old culture of the organism was pipetted into test tubes. Using
sterile syringe, 1ml of the different concentrations of the extract was poured into the broth culture
and incubated for 24hours at 37o C. The tubes were checked for growth as indicated by turbidity
and confirmed with the aid of spectrophotometer. The least concentration at which inhibition was
noticed was taken as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).
Phytochemical screening
Basic phytochemical analysis was carried out to determine the bioactive ingredient present in the
extract and their percentages. The standard methods of analysis of analytical methods committee
of Royal Society of chemistry, (2002) were adopted to determine cyanogenic glycosides, tannin,
saponin, oxalate, phytate, phenol, alkaloid and flavonoid.
Spectrophometric analyses
Nuclear magnetic resonance, infra-red and ultra violet analyses of the oil extract was carried out in
Central Science Laboratory, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State of Nigeria according to
standard methods of analysis of analytical methods committee of Royal Society of chemistry,
(2002).
Statistical analysis
The data gathered were processed using descriptive one way analysis of variance, SPSS Version 10
Microsoft Windows 7. The Duncan Multiple Range Test was used as a follow up test.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In vitro inhibitory effect of castor oil on test organisms
The extracted castor oil inhibited the growth of all the test organisms. Among the Gram positive
bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive and Micrococcus luteus was the least
sensitive with zones of inhibition of 7.00 mm and 2.50 mm respectively. Among the Gram negative
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bacteria, Escherichia coli was the most sensitive and Proteus vulgaris was the least sensitive with
zones of inhibition of 6.50 mm and 3.00 mm respectively. Among the fungi, Fusarium oxysporum
was the most sensitive while Aspergillus niger was least sensitive to the oil with zones of inhibition
of 4.00 mm and 1.50 mm respectively. Generally, the oil was more effective on bacteria than fungi
as shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Sensitive pattern of selected microorganisms to the extracted castor oil
Standard culture
(cfu/mL)
Organism
Diameter of
Zone of inhibition
(mm)
2.6×10
6
Bacillus
cereus
4.00
2.4×10
6
Bacillus macerans
3.00
3.6×10
6
Micrococcus luteus
2.50
3.0×10
6
Staphylococcus aureus
7.00
2.8×10
6
Streptococcus faecium
4.50
3.4×10
6
Streptococcus mitis
5.00
3.1×10
6
Streptococcus pyogenes
5.50
3.9×10
6
Escherichia coli
6.50
2.6×10
6
Klebsiella pneumoniae
4.00
2.9×10
6
Proteus vulgaricus
3.00
3.1×10
6
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
4.50
3.7×10
6
Salmonella enteriditis
5.00
3.5×10
6
Salmonella typhimumium
4.50
3.6×10
6
Shigella dysenteriae
5.00
3.0×10
5
Aspergillus flavus
2.00
4.0×10
5
Aspergillus niger
1.50
6.0×10
5
Candida albicans
3.00
2.0×10
5
Fusarium oxysporum
4.00
2.0×10
5
Penicillium cinirium
2.50
3.0×10
5
Penicillium oxalicum
2.50
Antibiotic sensitivity assay
The result of the antibiotic sensitivity assay on Gram positive bacteria is shown on figure 1. Some of
the antibiotics were found to have higher antimicrobial activities on the organisms than the castor
oil. Rifampin, lincomycin and floxapen had lower antimicrobial activities on the organisms than the
extract while streptomycin, norfloxacin, chloramphenicol, gentamycin and ciproflox showed higher
antimicrobial activities than that of the extract. Erythromycin and ampiclox had approximately the
same effect as that of the extract on the test bacteria.
On the Gram negative bacteria, tarivid, streptomycin, nalidixic acid, gentamycin, augmentin and
ciproflox showed higher antimicrobial activities than the extract. The result also showed that some
of the test organisms were resistant to ampicillin, peflacine and ceporex making the extract more
effective than the antibiotics as shown on figure 2.
Penicillum cinirum was most sensitive while Candida albicans was least sensitive to Fulcin with
zones of inhibition of 12 mm and 4 mm respectively. However, in general, the antifungal agent
(Fulcin) was more effective than the extract as shown in figure 3.
Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)
All the Gram positive bacteria had a constant MIC value (12.50 mg/ml) except Staphylococcus
aureus that had a lower value of 6.25 mg/mL. The MIC for the fungal group were however higher.
Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium cinirium had 25.00 mg/mL as their MIC while
Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium oxalicum had 12.50 mg/mL.
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Figure 1: Bar –chart showing the comparison of the activities of extract and standard antibiotics
on Gram positive bacteria.
Keys S = Streptomycin, NB = Norfloxacin, CH = Chloramphemicol, CPX = Ciproflox, E = Erythromycin, LC = Lincocin, CN = Gentamycin,
APX = Ampiclox, RD = Rifampin, FLX = Floxapen
Figure 2: Comparative antimicrobial activities of castor oil extract and standard antibiotics on Gram
negative bacteria. Keys S = Streptomycin, PN = Ampicillin, OFX = Tarivid, NA = Nalidixic acid, PEF = Peflacine,
CN = Gentamycin, AU = Augmentin, CPX = Ciproflox, SXT = Septrin, CEP = Ceporex.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
S NB CH CPX E LC CN APX RD FLX CO
Antibiotics and castor oil extract
Zo n es of in hibi ti on ( mm )
Bacillus cereus
Bacillus macerans
Micrococcus luteus
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus faecium
Streptococcus mitis
Streptococcus pyogenes
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
S PN OFX NA PEF CN AU CPX S XT CEP CO
Antibiotics and castor oil extract
Zones o f inhibit ion (mm)
Escherichia coli
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Proteus vulgaris
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Salmonella enteritidis
Salmonella typhimurium
Shigella dysentariae
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Figure 3: Comparative antimicrobial activities of extract and standard antifungal agent on selected
fungi.
Phytochemical analysis
Phytochemical screening of the extract for the presence of bioactive compounds revealed the
presence of tannin, saponin, alkaloid, phytate, oxalate, flavonoid, cyanogenic glycoside and phenol.
The most abundant phytochemical present in the extract was tannin (0.35 %) while the least was
observed in flavonoid and cyanogenic glycoside (0.03 %) each.
Ultra-violet Result
The following absorptions were observed: 220 nm, 226 nm and 236 nm with 226 nm being the
lambda maximum. These absorptions may be as a result of conjugated double bond that is present
in some of the fatty acid present. Minor absorptions were observed at 268 and 280 nm
respectively.
Infrared Result
The Infrared result, at different wave number per centimeter and their probable functional groups
are shown below in Table 2.
Nuclear magnetic Resonance Result
The result of the NMR shows different functional groups as well. The various frequencies and their
corresponding identification is shown in Table 3. The proton NMR of the extract and its
identification is shown in Table 4.
Table 2= Infra-red result
S/N
Wave number (cm
-1
)
Probable functional group
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
3346
2693
2879
1730.7
1646.8
1437
1377.6
1078.5
1042.7
875.1
OH, C
-
H (stretch), COOH, NH
O-H, CH
O-H, C-H, CH2, CH3
C=O, ketones
C-H, CH2, C-O
CH2 (Stretch), C-H (bending)
C-H, C-O, C=C
C-H, CH2, C=C
C-H (stretch), CH2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Aspergillus flavus Aspergillus niger Candida albicans Fusarium
oxysporum
Penicillium
cinirium
Penicillium
oxalicum
Antifungal agent (Fulcin)
Castor oil
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Table 3: NMR frequencies and their identifications
Index
Frequency
Identification
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
8729.775
6630.101
6316.905
3590.839
3470.673
3124.287
2882.047
1838.695
1762.017
1714.714
1706.321
1598.743
14.83.918
1474.762
1462.173
1456.069
1372.144
1285.547
1244.729
1133.336
889.188
696.540
C = O
CH
CH
CH-O
CH-O
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH2
CH3
CH3
Table 4: Proton NMR of the extract and their identifications
Proton NMR (ppm)
Identification
4.38 (broad)
3.29 – 3.45
1.75 – 2.15
0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.98, 1.00, 1.05
OH Signals
Alcohols of Cineole and 2
Octanol
CH = CH of Limonene, Sabinene, Pinene and
Terpinene.
CH2 (Methylene group of the essential oil)
CH3 Signals (Methyl group of the essential oil).
DISCUSSION
The findings in this research work indicate that the percentage yield of the extract using 98% N-
hexane as solvent of extraction is about 20% of the total mass of the seed. This corroborate the
report of Gerhard et al,. [8] that the amount of volatile oil in castor beans is 20%.
From the results of this investigation, the antimicrobial activities of the extract against test
organisms highly varied. Bacteria were observed to be more sensitive than fungi. One reason for
the low susceptibility of fungi is probably their eukaryotic nature, which is responsible for their
advance cellular and molecular process, when compared to bacteria which are prokaryotic in
nature.
The susceptibility of some of the organisms used may be due to their genetic make - up and
absence of resistant transfer factor. Streptococcus species used showed moderate susceptibility to
the extract and this may be due to their ability to produce different enzymes and toxins which may
be able to degrade some of the active components of the essential oil. The Bacillus species showed
low susceptibility to the extract probably due to their ability to form spores which could have
shielded them from the extract. Fungi were less susceptible to the castor oil extract than bacteria,
however none of the fungi tested for was resistant to the extract. Though, the mechanism of action
of the extract was not studied, the presence of biologically active chemicals such as saponin, tannin,
phenol, cyanogenic glycoside and flavonoids could be responsible for the antimicrobial activity of
the oil. The presence of the various compounds revealed by the spectrophotic analysis of this
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27 | P a g e
extracts shows that the antimicrobial properties of the essential oil could be traced to these
compounds. According to Omidbeygi et al, [9] and Rota et al, [10], the composition, structure, as
well as the functional group of an essential oil play an important role in determining its
antimicrobial activity.
This study has been able to show that castor oil has antimicrobial activity in addition to its
purgative, anti-inflammatory and labor inducing ability that has been documented earlier on by
many researchers. It is therefore conceivable that castor oil could be used in treating infections
caused by the test organisms used in this work in the absence of conventional therapy or
antibiotics.
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Supplementary resources (14)

... Numerous researchers have directed their attention to the chemical constituents present in these extracts (Syofuna et al., 2012;Rodrigues et al., 2012), with a significant emphasis on the Castor plant (Ricinus communis) as a predominant source. Belonging to the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae (Momoh et al., 2012), it is commonly referred to as the 'palm of Christ.' The seed oil of this plant has been documented to exhibit antimicrobial properties (Momoh et al., 2012) and has proven effective in termite control in wood (Ahmed et al., 2014), whereas the leaf extract shows molluscicidal activity against Lymnaea acuminate, and the seed extracts exhibit more potent insecticidal activity (Upasani et al., 2003;Sharma et al., 2009;Ramos Lopez et al., 2010). ...
... Belonging to the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae (Momoh et al., 2012), it is commonly referred to as the 'palm of Christ.' The seed oil of this plant has been documented to exhibit antimicrobial properties (Momoh et al., 2012) and has proven effective in termite control in wood (Ahmed et al., 2014), whereas the leaf extract shows molluscicidal activity against Lymnaea acuminate, and the seed extracts exhibit more potent insecticidal activity (Upasani et al., 2003;Sharma et al., 2009;Ramos Lopez et al., 2010). Delonix regia (Caesalpinidae) is a beautiful, semideciduous ornamental, leguminous plant tree, which is about 12m to 18m high with a slightly flat or curving crown commonly known as flame of forest in Nigeria. ...
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This study was aimed at assessing the resistance of Delonix regia wood treated with an eco-friendly bio preservative exploring castor (Ricinus communis) seed oil identified as a promising candidate for wood antifungal treatment, attributed to its documented antimicrobial properties. Sixty wood block samples of conditioned Delonix regia were treated with five different concentration levels (0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100 %) of formulated fungicides prepared from Sohxlet extracted oil of castor seeds and the untreated wood samples served as the control. The wood blocks were exposed to Pleurotus ostreatus (white rot fungi) and Sclerotium rolfsii (Brown rot fungi) for 14 weeks and parameters including preservative absorption, oil yield, and weight loss of the wood samples subjected to treatment were assessed. Using Analysis of variance (ANOVA) to analyze the data obtained, the mean oil yield of seeds of Ricinus communis extracted was 37.75%. The100% concentration level had the best performance with the highest absorption of 92.68 (kg/m3) while the least absorption (69.96 kg/m3) was recorded for the 25% concentration except for the control (0%) which was 118.60kg/m3. Statistically significant variations in weight loss were observed across different concentration levels, with a significance level of p < 0.05 and it ranged from 35.02 -31.42(%) for white rot while it ranged from 42.32 to 31.98(%) for brown rot apart from the control which was recorded to be 38.25% and 45.28% respectively. It can therefore be established that Delonix regia wood can be preserved with Ricinus communis seed oil extract against white rot and brown rot fungi.
... They clarified that up to 40% protein and roughly 30% oil are both present in castor seed. The majority of castor oil's uses, according to [7] and [8], are in cooking, where it is used as a spice. Bello and Makanju [6] as a potential replacement fuel for diesel engines investigated castor oil methyl ester. ...
... Castor oil was used as early as 500 BC by the ancient Egyptians in ointments (unguent), in 18th century Europe for skin healing, and across the world for its various medicinal benefits, such as treating inflammatory, dermatological, cardiovascular, oncological, and ophthalmologic illnesses. Scientific studies support its antifungal [5][6][7], antimicrobial [8], antiviral [9], wound healing [10][11][12], and analgesic [13,14] properties. It has also been used as a delivery vehicle and an additive for topical, transdermal, and oral drugs [15]. ...
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In the process of validating the elevated zero maze, a common test of anxiety-like behavior, in our laboratory, we demonstrated an anxiolytic-like effect of castor oil and its primary component, ricinoleic acid. We tested the effects of vehicle and chlordiazepoxide in male mice in the elevated zero maze following a 30-min pretreatment time. Chlordiazepoxide is a United States Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that was previously shown to exert anxiolytic-like effects in both the elevated zero maze and elevated plus maze. Chlordiazepoxide was administered at doses of 5 or 10 mg/kg. We used 5% polyoxyl 35 castor oil (Kolliphor® EL) and saline as treatment vehicles and found that the effect of chlordiazepoxide on open zone occupancy and open zone entries was blunted when 5% Kolliphor was used as the vehicle. These tests demonstrated that chlordiazepoxide increased open zone occupancy and entries in the elevated zero maze more effectively when saline was used as the treatment vehicle and that Kolliphor dampened the anxiolytic-like effect of chlordiazepoxide when it was used as the treatment vehicle. Notably, 5% Kolliphor alone slightly increased baseline open zone occupancy and entries. Given that Kolliphor is a derivative of castor oil, we next tested the effect of 5% castor oil and 5% ricinoleic acid, which is a major component of castor oil. We found that both castor oil and ricinoleic acid increased open zone occupancy but not entries compared with saline. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that Kolliphor, castor oil, and ricinoleic acid may exert anxiolytic-like effects in male mice in the elevated zero maze. This potential anxiolytic-like effect of castor oil is consistent with its well-established beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, and pain-relieving properties.
... Standard methods for anti-nutrient screening (phenol, flavonoids, tannins alkaloids and saponins) were employed according to Adewole, et al. (2015), Royal Society of Chemistry (2002) as modified by (Momoh, et al., 2012), and Obadoni and Ochuko (2001). ...
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Justicia secunda as a medicinal plant belongs to the family of Acanthaceae ,the leaf is an under-utilized medicinal vegetable that is believed and utilized as blood tonic by the local people and especially among the sect of some religious people that refuse blood infusion in medical conditions. This study examined the effect of processing methods on the nutrient and phytochemical composition of justicia secunda leaves. The leaves were subjected to blanching pre-treatment before sun drying for 72 hrs oven drying at 55 0C for 48 hrs and air drying for 120 hrsThe proximate, vitamins, minerals and phytochemical analysis were conducted on the samples using standard procedures. The results varied significantly (p<0.05) in all the parameters measured according to the different processing treatments. Proximate composition of the samples ranged for crude protein (18.20-21.73%), crude fat (7.80-9.10%), crude fibre (12.00-14.90%), ash (15.50-17.40%), moisture (8.00-9.00%) and carbohydrate (27.98-35.50%). Mineral composition ranged for calcium (18.20-34.10 mg/100g), magnesium (47.11-54.29 mg/100g), sodium (126.43-136.47 mg/100g), potassium (425.49-453.03 mg/100g), phosphorus (135.40-145.76 mg/100g) and iron (33.07-38.94 mg/100g). Vitamin composition showed that thiamine (B1) ranged from 0.04-0.31 mg/100g, riboflavin (B2) (0.21-1.7 8mg/100g), niacin (B3) (0.49-1.89 mg/100g), vitamin C (6.31-19.48 mg/100g), while vitamin E ranged from (1.97-6.78 mg/100g). Anti-nutrient contents ranged for tannin (4.82-16.89 mg/100g), phenol (7.41-19.23 mg/100g), alkaloids (2.05-7.07 mg/100g) flavonoids (4.90-9.85 mg/100g) and saponin (3.25-8.35 mg/100g. Overall, the results revealed that air drying methods retained greater concentrations of fibre, minerals, vitamins and anti-nutrients than other processing methods. The high micro-nutrient contents of iron, anti-nutrient compounds and B group of vitamins in this processed vegetable reveals why it is used intuitively by the traditional people to boost health conditions due to the functional roles of iron, phytonutrients and B group of vitamins in heamopoisis in preventing morbidity and mortality especially among children.
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One of the intensively developed tools for cancer therapy is drug-releasing matrices. Polyamidoamine dendrimers (PAMAM) are commonly used as nanoparticles to increase the solubility, stability and retention of drugs in the human body. Most often, drugs are encapsulated in PAMAM cavities or covalently attached to their surface. However, there are no data on the use of PAMAM dendrimers as a component of porous matrices based on polyurethane foams for the controlled release of drugs and biologically active substances. Therefore, in this work, porous materials based on polyurethane foam with incorporated third-generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (PAMAM G3) were synthesized and characterized. Density, water uptake and morphology of foams were examined with SEM and XPS. The PAMAM was liquefied with polyether polyol (G441) and reacted with polymeric 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (pMDI) in the presence of silicone, water and a catalyst to obtain foam (PF1). In selected compositions, the castor oil was added (PF2). Analogs without PAMAM G3 were also synthesized (F1 and F2, respectively). An SEM analysis of foams showed that they are composed of thin ribs/walls forming an interconnected network containing hollow bubbles/pores and showing some irregularities in the structure. Foam from a G3:G441:CO (PF2) composition is characterized by a more regular structure than the foam from the composition without castor oil. The encapsulation efficiency of drugs determined by the XPS method shows that it varies depending on the matrix and the drug and ranges from several to a dozen mass percent. In vitro biological studies with direct contact and extract assays indicated that the F2 matrix was highly biocompatible. Significant toxicity of dendrimeric matrices PF1 and PF2 containing 50% of PAMAM G3 was higher against human squamous carcinoma cells than human immortalized keratinocytes. The ability of the matrices to immobilize drugs was demonstrated in the example of perspective (Nimesulide, 8-Methoxypsolarene) or approved anticancer drugs (Doxorubicin—DOX, 5-Aminolevulinic acid). Release into the culture medium and penetration of DOX into the tested SCC-15 and HaCaT cells were also proved. The results show that further modification of the obtained matrices may lead to their use as drug delivery systems, e.g., for anticancer therapy.
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Medicinal plants are used exclusively to treat and manage different diseases, especially in poor communities. Castor oil was reported to have potent antibacterial, antifungal, and leishmanicidal activity. This study was conducted to assess the physicochemical, antimicrobial, and in vivo wound healing properties of castor oil-loaded nanogels. Castor oil was extracted from powdered castor beans by solvent extraction using hexane. The extracted castor oil (oil phase ) was combined with Tween 80 (surfactant) and polyethylene glycol (cosurfactant) and was mixed with distilled water as the aqueous phase using the titration method to prepare castor oil-loaded nanoemulsion The optimized nanoemulsion, NM2 was used to prepare nanogels using either carbopol or sodium carboxymethylcellulose as gel base. The extracted castor oil, nanoemulsions, and nanogels were assessed for their physicochemical and antimicrobial properties In vivo wound healing and skin irritation studies were conducted using nanogel formulation BF5. The extracted castor oil, nanoemulsions, and nanogels showed good antimicrobial activity against the test organisms. The nanoemulsions have an average droplet size of 78.71 nm (NM1) and 72.30 nm (NM2) and polydispersity index of 0.402 (NM1) and 0.222 (NM2). The nanogels prepared with sodium carboxymethylcellulose gel base have slightly better physicochemical properties, like spreadability and extrudability than those prepared using carbopol gel base however, they were less stable after one-month storage under room temperature. The wound healing activity of the castor oil-loaded nanogel was comparable to the activity of a marketed product, gentamicin ointment but unlike the ointment it will be more acceptable to the patient due to its non-greasy nature.
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New castor oil/polyethylene glycol (CAO/PEG) hybrids were synthesized by reacting of CAO with PEG 300, 600, 1000, 2000 or 4000, in presence of ammonium per sulfate (APS) as an initiator. The optimum conditions to synthesis such hybrids are: PEG/CAO weight ratio, 35%; APS/PEG weight ratio, 15%; reaction temperature, 80 °C; and reaction time, 60 min. Only the hybrids based on PEG 1000 and 2000 formed oil in water stable emulsions. Treating cotton fabric samples with easy care finishing formulation containing 40 g/L of the synthesized hybrids emulsions results in an enhancement in softness, tensile strength, whiteness index, and stiffness along with a reduction in nitrogen content, wrinkle recovery angle, and wettability properties of treated fabric, compared to that sample finished in absence of that emulsions. The chemical structure of the synthesized CAO/PEG1000 hybrid was confirmed via the FTIR and ¹HNMRanalysis whereas the TEM analysis showed that the particles size of that hybrid emulsion is in the range of 27–105 nm. Moreover, such hybrid emulsion treated fabric surface was characterized via SEM and EDX analysis. Furthermore, treating dyed samples with the nominated hybrid emulsion improves the color strength of that samples but keeps the washing fastness, wet rubbing fastness as well as alkaline perspiration fastness of the dyed/finished samples unchanged. The wet rubbing fastness and alkaline perspiration fastness of all the dyed/finished samples were enhanced while the light fastness of such samples decreased.
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Background: Castor plant (Ricinus communis) is a species of flowering plants in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. The oil from castor seed has been used in clinical settings against numerous medical conditions such as liver diseases, diarrhea, constipation, intestinal obstruction, and skin diseases that are mainly caused by pathogenic organisms. The aim of this study was to identify the active components and antimicrobial effect of castor seed oil extracts on Arcobacter butzleri and stock cultures of E. coli isolated from poultry meat (chicken and turkey) in Osogbo, Nigeria. Methodology: Cold extraction method was used to extract oil from castor seed beans using n hexane as solvent. The active components of the oil were determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) analysis. Ten (10) isolates of Arcobacter butzleri were identified and confirmed by the multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (mPCR), and two previously identified clinical isolates from stock culture of E. coli. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of both the laboratory extracted castor seed oil and commercial castor seed oil on the test organisms were carried out using the agar well diffusion method. Results: The HPLC analysis on the laboratory extracted castor seed oil revealed the presence of different fractions of Fatty acids and Phospholipids. The growth of all the Arcobacter butzleri and E. coli isolates were most inhibited at castor oil dilution of 50 mg/ml, followed by 25 mg/ml and then 6.25 mg/ml by zone diameter with no inhibition at 100 mg/ml on both extracted and commercial castor seed oil. It was observed that commercial castor oil showed lower inhibitory effect on all the isolates with an average of 7.1 mm and 8.0 mm compared to the laboratory extracted castor oil having an average of 14 .8 mm and 11.5 mm respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that castor seed oil has inhibitory effect on Arcobacter butzleri and E. coli which is an indication that the oil contains antimicrobial components.
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This study was conducted to investigate the uptake of castor oil (CAO) in some wood specimens and the effect of CAO on the leaching ability, dimensional stability and fungal-decay resistance of the wood specimens. CAO was infused into the specimens using a pressure treatment. Uptakes of CAO penetrated in yellow poplar (YEP), Japanese cedar (JAC) and Douglas fir (DOF) blocks were higher than 100 %. The leaching ability of the CAO-based suspensions against saline water was the lowest in YEP, followed by Japanese larch (LAR), JAC and DOF. The retention values were 90 % or higher in most of the specimens. Radial and tangential swellings of CAO-treated strips submerged in saline water for 2 weeks were restrained compared to control specimens. No significant differences were found between bending strength and Janka hardness of CAO-treated and control strips. CAO treatment provided acceptable decay resistance to most wood specimens against Fomitopsis palustris and Trametes versicolor . Retention of CAO in the leached strips were identified through X-ray microscopic observation. Based on the results, CAO was determined to be an effective agent for improving the dimensional stability of wood. These results demonstrate the great potential of CAO as an environmentally friendly wood preservative and dimensional stabilizer, allowing CAO-permeated wood as raw materials for both indoor and outdoor use.
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Investigations were carried out to assess the efficiency of five plant essential oils: thyme, myrtle, laurel, sage, and orange oils as natural food preservatives. The effect of the plant essential oils against Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans at concentrations of 5-20 μl/disk (diameter 6 mm) and 0.5-3% (v/v) was studied in agar diffusion test medium and milk medium. The essential oils of these extracts exhibited markedly antibacterial and bacteriostatic activity, with thyme showing the highest inhibition and orange the lowest. However, with thyme extract, high inhibitory activity was observed for all tested concentrations, L. monocytogenes showed less sensitivity towards essential oil extracts.
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Forty-seven plant extracts of 10 species of the genus Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) used by Colombian traditional healers for the treatment of ulcers, cancers, tumors, warts, and other diseases, were tested in vitro for their potential antitumour (antiproliferative and cytotoxic) and antiherpetic activity. To evaluate the capacity of the extracts to inhibit the lytic activity of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and the reduction of viability of infected or uninfected cell cultures, the end-point titration technique (EPTT) and the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] colorimetric assay were used, respectively. The therapeutic index of the positive extracts for the antiviral activity was determined by calculating the ratio CC50 (50% cytotoxic concentration) over IC50 (50% inhibitory concentration of the viral effect). Five of the 47 extracts (11%) representing 3 out of 10 Euphorbia species (30%) exhibited antiherpetic action; the highest activity was found in the leaf/stem water-methanol extracts from E. cotinifolia and E. tirucalli. The therapeutic indexes of these two plant species were > 7.1; these extracts exhibited no cytotoxicity. Six extracts (13%) representing 4 plant species (40%) showed cytotoxic activity. The highest cytotoxicity was found in the dichloromethane extract obtained from E. cotinifolia leaves and the CC50 values for the most susceptible cell lines, HEp-2 and CHO, were 35.1 and 18.1 microgram/ml, respectively.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of selected essential oils for the control of growth and survival of pathogenic microorganisms of significant importance in food hygiene and to determine whether the antimicrobial effect was due to the major compounds of the oils. MIC and MBC were determined by the tube dilution method. Essential oils from Thymus vulgaris from Spain and France, Salvia sclarea, Salvia officinalis, Salvia lavandulifolia, Lavandula latifolia, Lavandula angustifolia, three hybrids of Lavandula latifolia x Lavandula angustifolia (Lavandin 'Super', Lavandin 'Abrialis', and Lavandin 'Grosso'), Rosmarinus officinalis, Hissopus officinalis, and Satureja montana were evaluated. Inhibition ranged from the strong activity of Satureja montana and Thymus vulgaris (France) to no inhibition with Salvia sclarea and Hissopus officinalis for each of the test strains: Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Yersinia enterocolitica, Shigella flexneri, Listeria monocytogenes serovar 4b, and Staphylococcus aureus. Because some of the essential oils were highly inhibitory in small quantities to selected pathogenic microorganisms, they may provide alternatives to conventional antimicrobial additives in foods.
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Antifungal activity of essential oils of thyme, summer savory and clove were evaluated in culture medium and tomato paste. Aspergillus flavus were inoculated in Sabouraud Dextrose Broth and tomato paste and then 0, 50, 200, 350 and 500 ppm of essential oils were added to each sample and then kept at 25 ± 0.5 °C for 2 months. Results showed that all essential oils could inhibit the growth of A. flavus and the thyme oil and summer savory, showed the strongest inhibition at 350 ppm and 500 ppm, respectively. Taste panel evaluations were carried out in a tomato ketchup base, and the percent of inhibition of each essential oil in tomato paste was lower than culture medium. Taste panel was carried out and sample with 500 ppm thyme oil was accepted by panelists.
Herbal medicine, 2 nd edition, Herbs Publisher thieme Annuals and Biennials
  • R F Weiss
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Weiss, R.F. and Fintelmann, V. (2010). Herbal medicine, 2 nd edition, Herbs Publisher thieme, New York, USA. 505pp 3. Phillips, R. and Martyn, R. (1999). Annuals and Biennials. London: Macmillan. P. 106. ISBN 0333748891.
Introduction to general Microbiology, 2 nd Edition
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Olutiola, P.O., Famurewa, O., Sonntag, H.G (2000). Introduction to general Microbiology, 2 nd Edition, Heidelberg, Nigeria. 267pp.
Herbal medicine, 2 nd edition
  • R F Weiss
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Weiss, R.F. and Fintelmann, V. (2010). Herbal medicine, 2 nd edition, Herbs Publisher thieme, New York, USA. 505pp
The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. London: Dorling Kindersley
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Christopher, B. ed (1996). The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. London: Dorling Kindersley. pp. 884-885. ISBN 0751303038