Higuereta . Shrub plant of the Euphorbiaceae family . It is native to southern Asia , mainly India and Java .
Description
The Higuereta is a herb with an erect stem , 1 to 5 metres high, more or less branched, often becoming arboreal, with a robust trunk. The leaves are alternate and palmate. The flowers are numerous, apetalous, small, greenish and in terminal clusters. The fruit is a spiny tubular capsule containing an ovoid seed in each cell . The seeds are shiny, smooth, black, tinged with white and mottled with grey and brown markings. The endosperm is fleshy and oily.
Origin
It is a plant native to South Asia, mainly India and Java.
Location
Common in Cuba in barren and cultivated lands. Having escaped from cultivation, it continued to develop spontaneously. It also exists in the other Antilles , in the south-east of the United States of America, in Bermuda , in continental tropical America and in various regions of Africa , Indonesia and Southern Europe.
Useful part
- Industrial seed oil .
Recognized medicinal properties
| System | Pharmacological action |
|---|---|
| Digestive | Purgative (Oil extracted industrially from the seeds) |
Pharmaceutical forms described
Oil extracted from seeds (castor oil).
Route of administration
- Oral.
Other properties attributed (Not yet approved)
The leaves are applied topically to the breasts to stimulate milk production. The root decoction is used for prostate problems due to its diuretic action, and is also used against colic ; its leaves are applied to the head in case of fever to relieve pain and against any external inflammation. Castor oil is used to cure incipient styes, by applying a drop to the eyelid.
Warnings
Lectins extracted from the seeds are cytotoxic. Cases of poisoning in livestock produced by the plant and the seeds have been reported. The seed pulp contains an allergen that causes allergic reactions in hypersensitive individuals. One of the seed lectins (ricinus communis agglutinin) showed neurotoxic action, producing neuronal degeneration of the spinal cord in rats. A case of possible teratogenic action produced by castor oil has been reported .
Other uses
Lectins (ricin and agglutinin) extracted from the seeds are used as markers in histochemical techniques and in affinity chromatography. Castor oil is also used in soap making and as a lubricant for internal combustion engines .
Components
The main components of the seeds are: oil, 49-85% ricinoleic acid glycerides; proteins , 20% ricin-toxoalbumin; alkaloids (ricinin, ricidin); enzymes; phosphatidylethanolamine.
Crop
It is grown in loose or irrigated land and in warm climates .
Preparation and dosage
Castor oil is used as a cathartic in the usual dose of 15 ml for adults.
