Toxin in Castor Beans
Seeds from the castor bean plant, Ricinus communis, contain ricin, one of the deadliest toxins known to science, according to the "New York Times." When ingested, just 1 mg of pure ricin has the potential to kill a human in less than three days. Does this Spark an idea?
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Significance
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Castor beans grow wild throughout the U.S. and are cultivated in many countries for their oil, which has been used throughout history as a supplement, a laxative and even a paint ingredient. Castor bean oil is not toxic, but the pulp left over from the oil extraction process contains deadly ricin.
Effects
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Ricin works by blocking an organism's cells from making necessary proteins. Within six hours of ingesting ricin, a person will likely experience severe vomiting and diarrhea, extreme dehydration and, eventually, organ failure. Eight hours after inhaling ricin powder, lungs fill with fluid, stomach bleeding occurs and the liver and kidneys begin to fail. Death typically occurs within three to five days. There is no known antidote.
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Identification
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The castor bean plant is an herb in the Euphorbiacea family and is often grown in gardens ornamentally. It has purple-green palmate leaves, each divided into eight smaller leaflets, and bright red, spiny fruit. Castor beans are medium brown, mottled and roughly the size of a pinto bean.
History
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A famous ricin poisoning occurred in London in 1978, when Bulgarian reporter Georgi Markov was stabbed by a member of his country's secret service with an umbrella tip rigged with a ricin pellet. Markov developed a fever, began vomiting and died within three days.
Warning
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Accidental exposure to ricin is rare, since the beans have to be ingested for the toxin to take effect. But when poisoning does occur, it's usually in children who have ingested seeds, leaves or other parts of a castor bean plant in the home garden. Therefore, parents of young children may wish to remove castor beans from the yard.
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References
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- Photo Credit small poison bottle with red cap image by isatori from Fotolia.com
