Ricinine (Synonyms: NSC 409913, NSC 642604)

Ricinine is a piperidine alkaloid that has been found in R. communis and has diverse biological activities.^1,2,3,4 It is an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE; IC₅₀ = 54.5 µg/ml).² It scavenges ABTS radicals and chelates iron (IC₅₀s = 102.65 and 104.32 µg/ml, respectively). Ricinine is toxic to adult A. gambiae when used at a concentration of 0.04 mg/ml in a feeding assay.³ It is also toxic to mice with an intraperitoneal LD₅₀ value of 340 mg/kg but an oral LD₅₀ value of 3,000 mg/kg.¹ It has been used as a biomarker of ricin poisoning.⁴

1.Franke, H., Scholl, R., and Aigner, A.Ricin and Ricinus communis in pharmacology and toxicology-from ancient use and "Papyrus Ebers" to modern perspectives and "poisonous plant of the year 2018"Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch. Pharmacol.392(10)1181-1208(2019) 2.Khan, B.R., Ghous, T., Rasheed, A., et al.Evaluation of anti-acetylcholinesterase activity and antioxidant potential of ricinine (a central nervous system stimulant) isolated from Ricinius communis L.J. Chem. Soc. Pak.38(2)326-332(2016) 3.Wachira, S.W., Omar, S., Jacob, J.W., et al.Toxicity of six plant extracts and two pyridone alkaloids from Ricinus communis against the malaria vector Anopheles gambiaeParasit. Vectors7312(2014) 4.Johnson, R.C., Lemire, S.W., Woolfitt, A.R., et al.Quantification of ricinine in rat and human urine: A biomarker for ricin exposureJ. Anal. Toxicol.29(3)149-155(2005)