AN OVERVIEW OF RICINUS COMMUNIS: PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROFILE

Medicinal flora is essential for the preservation of human existence. Many people believe that herbs, in their natural medicinal state, are a gift from God to humanity. The use of herbal remedies has skyrocketed in the past few decades. Nearly seven thousand five hundred species make up the vast family Euphorbiaceae. The Ricinus communis plant, more often known as castor oil, is abundant in India, typically growing wild on abandoned lots, and it has great traditional and therapeutic use for promoting health and warding off illness. Other names include “wonder tree” or “Palma Christi,” are similar. Bark, leaves, blossoms, seeds, oil, and other component of a plant is valuable. Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy, and Allopathy all make heavy use of this plant’s oil as a cathartic. As a purgative, resolvent, anti-arthritis, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, emmenagogue, antidote for Datura poisoning, anti-dysenteric, and many more medicinal uses, this plant also has beneficial effects as an antioxidant, antiulcer, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, stimulant of the central nervous system, wound healer, antifertility, and many more. The plant’s action is a result of its significant phytochemical components, which include steroids, glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins. The focus of this article is on the pharmacological and phytochemical characteristics of the Ricinus communis Linn plant.