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Plant Science Today (PST)

Review Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Advances in ricin detoxification and genetic silencing strategies for safe utilisation of castor (Ricinus communis L.)

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14075
Submitted
12 February 2026
Published
02-07-2026 — Updated on 09-07-2026
Versions

Abstract

Castor (Ricinus communis L.) is an industrially significant oilseed crop valued for its high content of ricinoleic acid and extensive application in the lubricant, medicinal and polymer industries. However, ricin, a toxic dimeric glycoprotein present in castor seed, limits the safe utilisation of castor meal as animal feed. Ricin cytotoxicity arises from the depurination of 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), resulting in inhibition of ribosomal protein synthesis. Several physical, chemical and microbial detoxification strategies have been proposed but are not feasible on a large scale. Conventional breeding methods to lower ricin content in castor have achieved limited success due to the multigene nature of the ricin gene family and narrow genetic variability for the trait among the germplasm. Biotechnological approaches such as RNA interference (RNAi)based post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) have effectively suppressed ricin and associated agglutinin genes. Transgenic lines exhibited significant reduction in ricin levels with stable inheritance of the transgene. The genetic transformation efficiency and regeneration potential still remain a challenge in castor, requiring an optimised protocol. This review aims to explore ricin structure, cytotoxicity mechanism, gene regulation, ricin detection methods and the progress in biotechnological approaches to eliminate ricin toxicity. It emphasizes the potential of combining conventional breeding and biotechnological tools for ricin detoxification in castor, paving the way for the development of low-toxicity castor varieties.

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