177-185
Therapeutic role of Ricinus communis L. and its bioactive compounds in disease prevention and treatment
Authors: Waseem Mohammed Abdul, Nahid H. Hajrah, Jamal S.M. Sabir, Saleh M. Al-Garni, Meshaal J. Sabir, Saleh A. Kabli, Kulvinder Singh Saini, Roop Singh Bora
Number of views: 406
Ricinus communis L. (R. communis), commonly known as castor oil plant, is used as
a traditional natural remedy or folkloric herb for the control and treatment of a wide
range of diseases around the globe. Various studies have revealed the presence of diverse
phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, saponins, phenolic compounds such as
kaempferol, gallic acid, ricin, rutin, lupeol, ricinoleic acid, pinene, thujone and gentisic acid.
These phytochemicals have been responsible for pharmacological and therapeutic effects,
including anticancer, antimicrobial, insecticidal, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, antinociceptive,
anti-inflammatory, bone regenerative, analgesic, and anticonvulsant activity. R. communis
harbours phytochemicals which have been shown to target peroxisome proliferator activated
receptor (PPAR), nuclear factor NF-κ-B, cytochrome p450, P38 mitogen-activated protein
kinases kinase (p38 MAPK), tumor protein P53, B-cell lymphoma-extra-large (Bcl-xL) and
vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Considering its wide variety of
phytochemicals, its pharmacological activity and the subsequent clinical trials, R. communis
could be a good candidate for discovering novel complementary drugs. Further experimental
and advanced clinical studies are required to explore the pharmaceutical, beneficial therapeutic
and safety prospects of R. communis with its phytochemicals as a herbal and complementary
medicine for combating various diseases and disorders.