scholarly journals Castor oil (Ricinus communis): a review on the chemical composition and physicochemical properties

Author(s):  
Akwasi YEBOAH ◽  
Sheng YING ◽  
Jiannong LU ◽  
Yu XIE ◽  
Hanna AMOANIMAA-DEDE ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Ann Kiplagat Jepkorir ◽  
Charles Maina Irungu ◽  
Philip Bett Kendagor

All parts of A. indica (neem) and R. communis (castor) plants have mostly been used as natural remedies in the control and treatment of several ailments, control of pests and insects, animal feeds and production of industrial products globally. The seed oils of A. indica and R. communis are known to have antidiabetic, anti-helminthic, antifertility, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, insecticidal and mosquitocidal activity. This study reports for the first time the chemical composition of A. indica and R. communis seed oils from Marigat, Baringo County, Kenya. Seed oils of A. indica and R. communis were   extracted from mature dried seeds through cold pressing and boiling respectively and chemical composition determined using Gas Chromatography (GC)-Mass Spectrometry (MS).  The constituents of both seed oils were dominated by saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, cyclic esters and methyl esters. The predominant constituents of R. communis were (Z)-6-Octadecenoic acid (37.33%), Ricinoleic acid (30.22%) and 13-Hexyloxacyclotridec-10-en-2-one (26.67%) while those of A. indica were 2-hexyl-1-decanol (30.97%), Octadecanoic acid (29.69%) and Oxalic acid, 6-ethyloct-3-yl ethyl ester (15.55%). Oils contained Hexadecanoic acid and Octadecanoic acid which are used in the manufacture of several products such as candles, soaps, lotions, perfumes and cosmetics. Octadecenoic acid is important in control of human diseases and Ricinoleic acid in production of alkyd resins for surface coating and biofuel.  From the results, A. indica and R. communis seed oils constituents have potential in the agricultural, industrial, comestics and pharmaceutical sectors but require further fractionation to isolate the bioactive compounds.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 374
Author(s):  
Teresa Szczęsna ◽  
Ewa Waś ◽  
Piotr Semkiw ◽  
Piotr Skubida ◽  
Katarzyna Jaśkiewicz ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of storage temperature and time on physicochemical parameters of starch syrups recommended for the winter feeding of bee colonies. The studies included commercially available three starch syrups and an inverted saccharose syrup that were stored at different temperatures: ca. 20 °C, 10–14 °C, and ca. 4 °C. Physicochemical parameters of fresh syrups (immediately after purchase) and syrups after 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 months of storage at the abovementioned temperatures were measured. It was observed that the rate of unfavorable changes in chemical composition of starch syrups and the inverted saccharose syrup, mainly the changes in the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content, depended on the type of a syrup and storage conditions (temperature, time). Properties of tested starch syrups intended for winter feeding of bees stored at ca. 20 °C maintained unchanged for up to 6 months, whereas the same syrups stored at lower temperatures (10–14 °C) maintained unchanged physicochemical parameters for about 12 months. In higher temperatures, the HMF content increased. To date, the influence of this compound on bees has not been thoroughly investigated.


1991 ◽  
Vol 279 (2) ◽  
pp. 495-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
F E Podestá ◽  
W C Plaxton

The kinetic and regulatory properties of cytosolic pyruvate kinase (PKc) isolated from endosperm of germinating castor oil seeds (Ricinus communis L.) have been studied. Optimal efficiency in substrate utilization (in terms of Vmax/Km for phosphoenolpyruvate or ADP) occurred between pH 6.7 and 7.4. Enzyme activity was absolutely dependent on the presence of a bivalent and a univalent metal cation, with Mg2+ and K+ fulfilling this requirement. Mg2+ binding showed positive and negative co-operativity at pH 6.5 (h = 1.6) and pH 7.2 (h = 0.69) respectively. Hyperbolic saturation kinetics were observed with phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and K+, whereas ADP acted as a mixed-type inhibitor over 1 mM. Glycerol (10%, v/v) increased the S0.5(ADP) 2.3-fold and altered the pattern of nucleotide binding from hyperbolic (h = 1.0) to sigmoidal (h = 1.79) without modifying PEP saturation kinetics. No activators were identified. ATP, AMP, isocitrate, 2-oxoglutarate, malate, 2-phosphoglycerate, 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate, 3-phosphoglycerate, glycerol 3-phosphate and phosphoglycolate were the most effective inhibitors. These metabolites yielded additive inhibition when tested in pairs. ATP and 3-phosphoglycerate were mixed-type inhibitors with respect to PEP, whereas competitive inhibition was observed for other inhibitors. Inhibition by malate, 2-oxoglutarate, phosphorylated triose sugars or phosphoglycolate was far more pronounced at pH 7.2 than at pH 6.5. Although 32P-labelling studies revealed that extensive phosphorylation in vivo of soluble endosperm proteins occurred between days 3 and 5 of seed germination, no alteration in the 32P-labelling pattern of 5-day-germinated endosperm was observed after 30 min of anaerobiosis. Moreover, no evidence was obtained that PKc was a phosphoprotein in aerobic or anoxic endosperms. It is proposed that endosperm PKc activity of germinating castor seeds is enhanced after anaerobiosis through concerted decreases in ATP levels, cytosolic pH and concentrations of several key inhibitors.


The Analyst ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
pp. 1587-1610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zou Xiaobo ◽  
Huang Xiaowei ◽  
Malcolm Povey

The main food quality traits of interest using non-invasive sensing techniques are sensory characteristics, chemical composition, physicochemical properties, health-protecting properties, nutritional characteristics and safety. A wide range of non-invasive sensing techniques, from optical, acoustical, electrical, to nuclear magnetic, X-ray, biosensor, microwave and terahertz, are organized according to physical principle.


2009 ◽  
Vol 142 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 175-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Golinska ◽  
P. Decyk ◽  
M. Ziolek ◽  
J. Kujawa ◽  
E. Filipek

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