Ricinus Communis: Nutritional Importance, Health Benefits, and Industrial Applications

ABSTRACT Medicinal plants have garnered special attention worldwide in food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries, owing to their diverse nutritional and therapeutic profile. Rural inhabitants have traditionally used these plants as therapeutic agents to manage prevalent disorders. Ricinus communis, known as the castor bean, is native to East Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, and Southeast Asia, including India and Pakistan. It is extensively used in various medicinal systems to treat different disorders. This review summarizes the nutritional composition, phytochemistry, health benefits, safety studies, and applications of castor beans and their oil. Various search engines like Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect were used to obtain relevant studies (n = 159). The findings showed that diverse bioactive compounds, including saponins, emodins, terpenoids, anthraquinones, flavonoids, steroids, and alkaloids, exhibit therapeutic properties such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective properties. Furthermore, its antioxidant potential helps attenuate oxidative stress and its associated disorders, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic disorders. Additionally, different studies have documented the toxicity of castor beans, especially ricin.