Anthelmintic Activity of the Seed Oil of Ricinus communis
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Date
2023-03
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Helminthic infections are among the most widespread parasitic infections in humans. It is
estimated that more than half of the world’s population suffer from parasitic infections. It poses
morbidity particularly in children and pregnant women. Helminthic infections are more common
in developing countries with poorer personal and environmental hygiene. Plant-derived drugs
and herbal remedies remain important resources to alleviate and cure diseases, especially in
developing countries. Variety of plants from various families including Ricinus communis from
the family Euphorbiaceae are used to treat helminthiasis across the world. R.communis is an
annual oilseed crop commonly known as castor. Antimicrobial, antifungal, anticancer,
antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antimalarial are some of the pharmacological activities that
have been reported from extracts of R. communis. In the present study, the petroleum ether seed
extract of R. communis, its base hydrolysate and the major constituent of the hydrolysate were
tested for their anthelmintic activities against the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The
dried and powdered seeds were extracted using petroleum ether and then the oil collected was
subjected to base hydrolysis to obtain the hydrolysate. Fractionation of the hydrolysate by
column chromatography packed with silica gel 60-G resulted in the isolation of the hydroxylated
fatty acid (9Z)-12-hydroxyoctadec-9-enoic acid (ricinoleic acid). The isolated free fatty was
esterified by 5% Potassium hydroxide solution in methanol to get ricinoleic acid methyl ester.
Structural elucidation of the compounds was achieved by spectroscopic techniques including
ESI-MS, 1H and 13C-NMR spectral data. Results of the anthelmintic assay revealed that
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ricinoleic acid and its methyl ester are strongly active against C. elegans worms compared to the
oil. Ricinoleic acid exhibited 97% mortality at the tested concentration of (1 mg/ml). In
conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the oil of R. communis seeds possesses strong
anthelmintic activity against the model nematode C. elegans worms and the activity of the oil
would be attributed to the presence of ricinoleic acid as a major constituent.
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Keywords
Anthelmintic activity, Seeds of Ricinus communis, Fatty acids, Caenorhabditis elegans assay, Ricinoleic acid