EU_Declaration_91041.pdf
Botanical Name: Ricinus communis Common name: Castor Oil Pla Read More
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Botanical Name: |
Ricinus communis |
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Common name: |
Castor Oil Plant |
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Plant family: |
Euphorbiaceae |
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Genus: |
Ricinus |
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Appearance/Color: |
Colorless or yellowish |
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Origin |
India |
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Source |
Seed |
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Method of Extraction |
Cold Pressed |
Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae), commonly known as castor oil plant, is a soft wooden small tree developed throughout tropics and warm temperature regions. This plant is indigenous to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa, and India but is widespread throughout tropical regions and is widely used as an ornamental plant. The plant is known to display antimicrobial activity and has been used to treat several ailments. Its leaf, root, and seed oil are used in inflammation treatment, liver disorders, hypoglycemic, and as a laxative. In Tunisia, the plant is used as a contraceptive. The plant is also used in African folk medicine in the treatment of warts, cold tumors, and indurations of mammary glands, corns, and moles. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of the plant was demonstrated.
The castor bean plant, an erect, tropical shrub or small tree, grows up to 30 feet tall. As an annual in the cooler zones, it grows up to 15' tall. It is a very fast growing plant. The joints of the hollow stem, stalks and leaves are reddish to purple. The 6 - 11 lobed, palmate leaves with uneven serrated edge, are also red or colored and often have a blue-gray bloom. There is also a green variety. The flat seeds are in a seedpod that explodes when ripen. All the top of the stem and stalks are the inflorescence with the male - and female flowers. The female flowers are the fuzzy red structures at the top of the flower spike with the male flowers positioned on the lower half, and have conspicuous yellow anthers The oblong fruit turns brown when ripe. In each seed pod (a capsule) there are three seeds. The seeds of castor bean or castor oil plant, are very poisonous to people, animals and insects; just one milligram of ricin (one of the main toxic proteins in the plant) can kill an adult. The castor oil is extracted from the beans, which is used for medicinal purposes. Commercially prepared castor oil contains none of the toxin.
Essential oils are distilled from the aromatic leaves, bark, and roots of plants. If applied to the skin directly, they can cause reactions, such as severe irritation, redness or burning.
Carrier oils and essential oils are made from plants. Carrier oils are used to dilute essential oils and “carry” them to skin. That’s because essential oils are potent and can cause irritation when applied directly to skin. Most carrier oils are unscented or lightly scented and don’t interfere with an essential oil’s therapeutic properties. They may be used alone or with other oils to nourish skin.
Carrier oils are used to dilute the essential oils and help “carry” them into the skin. Aloe vera gels and unscented body lotion are also sometimes used as carriers.
To be used in aromatherapy, it is recommended that the oil is obtained through cold pressing. In this process, the oil is extracted by crushing the plants. Users claim that the fragile nutrients in the oil can be damaged if they are extracted with heat. Venkatramna’s carrier Oils are extracted from the Cold Pressed method to retain their properties.
Common Usage: Aromatherapy
TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Safety Summary
· Hazards: Cytotoxic
· Contraindications: Used under proper consultation and under supervision.
Organ Specific Effects
· Adverse skin reaction: No Information Found
· Reproductive Toxicity: No Information Found
· Cytotoxicity: No Additional Data available.
Systemic Effects
· Acute Toxicity: No information found.
· Antioxidant/pro-oxidant activity: No Data Available
· Carcinogenic/anti carcinogenic potential: No Data Available
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Toxicity
· Acute fish toxicity: LC50 / 96 HOUR – No data available
· Toxicity to aquatic plants – No data available
· Toxicity to microorganisms – No data available
· Toxicity threshold – No data available
· Persistence and degradability: Biodegradation is expected
· Bio-accumulative potential: Bioaccumulation is unlikely
· Mobility in soil: Unknown
Avoid exposure to marine environments and waterways
