[[File:Castor beans.jpg|thumb|right|'' Castor beans'', ''Gandharvataila'']]
'''Ricinus communis''' is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing the seeds of the castor oil plant. Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with a distinct taste and odor once first ingested.
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing the seeds of the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis)==Uses=={{Uses|Wounds}}, {{Uses|Cuts}}, {{Uses|Snakebites}}, {{Uses|Curing liver disorders}}, {{Uses|Skin eruptions}}, {{Uses|Blotches}}, {{Uses|Pimples}}, {{Uses|Diarrhea}}, {{Uses|Sore throats}}. The common <ref name ="castor oilUses", from which the plant gets its name, probably comes from its use as a replacement for castoreum, a perfume base made from the dried perineal glands of the beaver (castor in Latin)./>
Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with a distinct taste and odor once first ingested. Its boiling point is 313 °C (595 °F) and its density is 961 kg/m3. It is a triglyceride in which approximately 90 percent of fatty acid chains are ricinoleates. Oleate and linoleates are the other significant components==Parts Used=={{Parts Used|Root}}, {{Parts Used|Leaf}}, {{Parts Used|Seed}}, {{Parts Used|Extracted Oil}}.
Castor oil and its derivatives are used in the manufacturing of soaps==Chemical Composition==Contains volatile oils, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluidsflavonoids, paintsapigenin, dyesluteolin, coatingsquercetin, inkskaempferol, cold resistant plasticstiliroside, waxes triterpene glycosides including euscapic acid and polishestormentic acid, nylonphenolic acids, pharmaceuticals and perfumes.3%–21% tannins<ref name="chemical composition"/>
==Common names==
{{Common names|sa=Yeranda|kn=Oudla|ml=Chittamankku|ta=Amanakku|te=Amuda|hi=Arandi|en=Castor bean}}
== Medicine Properties==Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.===Dravya===
===Rasa===
Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent)
===Guna===
Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Tikshna (Sharp)
===Veerya===
Ushna (Hot)
===Vipaka===
Katu (Pungent)
===Karma===
Kapha, Vata
===Prabhava===
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has categorized castor oil as "generally recognized as safe and effective" (GRASE) for over-the-counter use as a laxative with its major site of action the small intestine where it is digested into ricinoleic acid. Despite castor oil being widely used to induce labor in pregnant women, to date there is not enough research to show whether it is effective to ripen the cervix or induce labor. Therapeutically, modern drugs are rarely given in a pure chemical state, so most active ingredients are combined with excipients or additives. Castor oil, or a castor oil derivative such as Kolliphor EL (polyethoxylated castor oil, a nonionic surfactant), is added to many modern drugs, including:==Habit=={{Habit|Herb}}
*Miconazole, an antifungal agent.<ref name="uses"/>=Identification==*Paclitaxel, a mitotic inhibitor used in cancer chemotherapy.<ref name="uses2"/>==Leaf===*Sandimmune (cyclosporine injection{{Leaf|Simple|Alternate|Palmately 6-8-lobed, USP)peltate, an immunosuppressant drug widely used in connection with organ transplant to reduce the activity of the patient's immune system.*Nelfinavir mesylate, an HIV protease inhibitor.<ref name="uses3"/>*Tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive drug (contains HCO20 x 24 cm; lobes 9-15 x 3-60, polyoxyl 60 hydrogenated castor oil).*Xenaderm ointment, a topical treatment for skin ulcers, is a combination of Balsam of Peru6 cm, castor oillanceolate, and trypsin.<ref name="uses4"/>*Aci-Jel (composed of ricinoleic acid from castor oilmargin coarsely serrate, with acetic acid and oxyquinoline) is used apex acuminate; petiole to maintain the acidity of the vagina18 cm long.}}<ref name="uses5Leaf"/>*Optive Plus (carboxymethylcellulose, castor oil) and Refresh Ultra (glycerine, castor oil), are artificial tears to treat dry eye.
Castor oil ===Flower==={{Flower|Unisexual|Terminal paniculate racemes|Yellow|Many|Male flowers below, female ones above. Male flowers: perianth cupular, 3-5-lobed, c. 4 mm long, lanceolate; stamens many, filaments connate, repeatedly branched. Flowering season is also one of the components of Vishnevsky liniment.<ref name="uses6"/>December to March}}
==Common name=Fruit==={{Fruit|Capsule|1.6-2 cm across||3-lobed, Prickly|Seeds oblong, Smooth, Marbled, Carunculate|Fruiting season is December to March}}
* '''English''' ===Other features=== ==List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used==[[Vishatinduka Taila]], [[Maharasnadi kashayam]], [[Chaturmukha ras]], [[Eranda pak]], [[Gandharvahastadi kashayam]], [[Lohaasava]]<ref name="Ayurvedic preparations"/> ==Where to get the saplings====Mode of Propagation=={{Propagation|Seeds}} ==How to plant/cultivate==Can be easily grown from seed. The seeds are explosively released when the fruit are mature, thereby aiding their spread. They are also often dispersed by floodwaters and animals (e.g. rodents and birds). Humans also spread the seeds in dumped garden waste, mud, soil and on vehicles and machinery.<ref name="How to plant/cultivate"/> ==Commonly seen growing in areas=={{Commonly seen|Roadsides}}, {{Commonly seen|Vacant plots}}, {{Commonly seen|Wastelands}}. ==Photo Gallery==<gallery class="left" caption="" widths="140px" heights="140px">File:Ricinus communis 001.JPG|File:Ricinus comm leaves.jpg|General aspect of plant with flowers and young fruitsFile:Ricinus communis4.jpg|General aspectFile:Pl Lutowiska Bauerngarten.jpg|In a Polish gardenFile:Ricinus communis.jpgFile:Ricinus communis001.JPGFile:CastorBean Leaves Flowers and YoungFruit.jpg |Leaves, flowers, young fruit of wild plantFile:Young castor bean plant showing prominent cotyledons.jpg|Young plant showing prominent cotydledons (emryonic leaves) of wild plant</gallery> ==References== <references> <ref name="chemical composition">[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874112006393?via%3Dihub Sciencedirect]</ref> <ref name="Leaf">[https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/230990 Cultivation details]</ref><ref name="Ayurvedic preparations">[https://easyayurveda.com/2014/12/12/castor-benefits-use-research-side- Castor oileffects/ Ayurvedic preparations]</ref> <ref name="How to plant/cultivate">[https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/ricinus_communis.htm Cultivation details]</ref> * '''Kannada''' - ಹರಳು ಎಣ್ಣೆ* '''Hindi''' <ref name="Uses">Karnataka Medicinal Plants Volume - Arandi Kaa Tel2 by Dr.M. R. Gurudeva, Page No. 746</ref>
== References ==
<references>
<ref name="uses">[http://aac.asm.org/content/10/3/447.long "Reversible thrombocytosis and anemia due to miconazole therapy"]</ref>
<ref name="uses2">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynecologic_Oncology_(journal) "Gynecologic Oncology"]</ref>
<ref name="uses3">[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC90428/ "Circulating metabolites of the human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor nelfinavir in humans: Structural identification, levels in plasma, and antiviral activities"]</ref>
<ref name="uses4">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070831031827/http://www.healthpoint.com/divisions/tm/prodXenaderm.cfm "Product Information: Xendaderm topical ointment, balsam Peru, castor oil and trypsin topical ointment"]</ref>
<ref name="uses5">[http://www.rxlist.com/aci-jel-drug.htm "Aci-Jel (Vaginal Jelly) drug description"]</ref>
<ref name="uses6">[http://www.bmj.com/content/318/7198/1600/rr/763323 "Vishnevsky liniment and ichthammol: on the perspectives of application in military medicine and other fields"]</ref>
</references>
== External Links ==* [http://www.krishisewa.com/articles/production-technology/85-castor-cultivation.html Ricinus communis on krishisewa.com]* [http://www.agrifarming.in/castor-cultivation-information-guide/ Ricinus communis on agrifarming.in]* [http://balconygardenweb.com/how-to-grow-castor-oil-plant-care-and-growing-castor-beans/ Ricinus communis on http://balconygardenweb.com]* [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857413001729 Ricinus communis on science direct]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil Castor oil-Wikipedia]
[[Category:Herbs]]
[[Category:Euphorbiaceae]]
