The oil was used in ancient times as fuel for lamps, and is now used in paints and varnishes, for water-resistant coatings, in high-performance motor oils, soap, inks, and plastics.
Other derivatives are used in polishes, as solid lubricants, in synthetic perfumes and other products. Plants are grown commercially for oil production primarily in India and Brazil, but also in some parts of the U.
The seeds are extremely poisonous, so keep plants out of reach of children or trim off flowering spike if this is a concern. The toxin in castor seeds is ricin RYE-sin , one of the deadliest natural poisons, estimated as 6, times more poisonous than cyanide and 12, times more poisonous than rattlesnake venom.
As few as four seeds can kill an average-sized adult, while ingestion of lesser amounts will result in vomiting, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and convulsions. Livestock and poultry can also be affected if they consume seeds or meal from the seeds.
Although it is a very potent poison, ricin has been investigated as an anti-cancer agent. Since the toxin does not occur in the pure oil, castor oil can be consumed and has been used medicinally as a remedy for everything from constipation to heartburn. It is an effective cathartic or purgative laxative and can be used externally as an emollient for dry skin. Castor bean is often grown as an ornamental. When grown as an ornamental, castor bean can be planted directly in the garden in late spring, or started indoors earlier weeks before the average last frost and transplanted outdoors when the weather warms.
Nick or scarify the seeds or soak overnight for better germination. Seedlings should start coming up in weeks. The young plants grow quite quickly and may need repotting into larger containers before transplanting outdoors. Place the plants outdoors in full sun and deep, rich soil about 4 feet apart.
Provide plenty of water and fertilizer to achieve the largest size. Once established it can tolerate drought. Wind can shred the leaves, so they should be placed in a protected spot if possible. Plants can be pruned to limit the size, or may need staking if top heavy; otherwise this plant needs very little maintenance. Castor bean has few pests, although spider mites can sometimes be a problem in hot, dry weather.
The large seeds germinate in weeks L with smooth cotyledons C that do not resemble the true leaves that are soon produced on the seedlings R. The large leaves and unusual seed pods make castor bean a dramatic addition to the ornamental garden. With its large leaves and tall stature, castor bean makes a bold statement in the garden. The coarse texture contrasts well with finely textured plants. Although it is native to the Ethiopian region of tropical east Africa, the castor bean or castor plant Ricinus communis has become naturalized in tropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world, and is becoming an increasingly abundant weed in the southwestern United States.
Castor plants are very common along stream banks, river beds, bottom lands, and just about any hot area where the soil is well drained and with sufficient nutrients and moisture to sustain the vigorous growth.
Although the seeds or beans are extremely poisonous, they are the source of numerous economically important products and are one of earliest commercial products. Castor beans have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to B. To many people the castor plant is just an overgrown, undesirable weed, and yet it produces one of nature's finest natural oils.
The large, tropical, palmately-lobed leaves make this naturalized plant unmistakable. Castor bean plant showing large, tropical, palmately-lobed leaf and cluster of spiny red fruits. On some plants the fruits are green. Flower cluster inflorescence of castor bean Ricinus communis. The upper spiny balls ovaries with red, star-shaped stigmas are the female flowers.
The lower male buds open into whitish-yellow clusters of stamens. The wind-pollinated flowers have no petals. Castor bean fruit Ricinus communis : The spiny, globose seed capsule left dries and splits into 3 sections called carpels center.
Each carpel right splits open and forcibly ejects a large seed. In the related Mexican jumping bean Sebastiana pavoniana , a moth occupies each carpel and feeds on the seed tissue inside. The many "faces" of castor seeds. Like the faces and fingerprints of people, the beautiful designs on castor seeds exhibit infinite genetic variation.
The small structure on the end of each seed is a caruncle. The seeds superficially resemble the bodies of ticks, particularly ticks engorged with blood. The seed of candlenut Aleurites molucanna contains about 50 percent oil and burns like a candle. The ancient Polynesians brought this tree to the Hawaiian Islands where it has become naturalized.
The dried nuts were cracked open and the seeds were skewered onto the midrib of a coconut frond or slender bamboo stem and set on fire.
Hawaiians also extracted the oil for many other uses: to shine and waterproof wooden bowls, to mix with charcoal to make black canoe paint, to burn as torches, and to burn in stone lamps for light. The fruit and seeds of candlenut Aleurites molucanna. In the Hawaiian Islands, the large seeds are polished and made into beautiful kukui nut necklaces and bracelets. The shiny black or dark brown seeds resemble polished gemstones. Polymers of linoleic acid: The trans and cis configurations of C 18 H 32 O 2 In the trans configuration, the four hydrogen atoms adjacent to the double bonds occur on alternate sides of the main carbon axis two on one side and two on the opposite side.
The trans configuration is chemically more stable. It is typically produced during partial hydrogenation of polyunsaturated vegetable oils. In the cis configuration, all four hydrogen atoms adjacent to the double bonds occur on the same side of the carbon axis. Blood Triglycerides and Cholesterol Cholesterol is a complex lipid and vital precursor of sex hormones, vitamin D and bile salts.
It is produced by the body, although some dietary cholesterol comes from animal products. Cholesterol is carried to sites in the body by low-density lipoprotein molecules LDLs. High-density lipoproteins HDLs remove cholesterol from these sites and deliver it to the liver for breakdown. Excessive levels of cholesterol in the blood can lead to fatty deposition in blood vessels arteries called plaque. For example, damage to a blood vessel wall by injury or strain causes cells underlying the internal wall to divide.
White blood cells macrophages accumulate in the area to ingest particles of damaged cells. LDLs carrying cholesterol gather in the area to provide materials for repairing the wall. While waiting to be used, the cholesterol molecules can become oxidized, causing them to be engulfed by macrophages. After engulfing several oxidized molecules, the macrophages die and become deposited as fatty "foam cells" in the area of the wall being repaired.
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