蓖麻子

English text reference: Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 Edition)

Overview

Castor Bean is the dried mature seed of Ricinus communis L. (Fam. Euphorbiaceae). The drug is collected in autumn when the fruit is mature, dried in the sun, and the seeds are collected after removing the husk.

Description

Seeds are elliptical or ovate, slightly flattened, 0.9-1.8 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide. Surface smooth, with gray-white and black-brown or yellow-brown and red-brown alternating spots. One side is relatively flat, the other side is slightly raised, with one raised seed ridge on the flatter side; one end has a gray-white or light brown protruding seed hilum. Seed coat thin and brittle. Endosperm thick, white, oily, cotyledons 2, thin. Odour, slight; taste, slightly bitter and pungent.

Identification

(1) The powder is grayish-yellow or yellowish-brown. The seed coat has reddish-brown, elongated columnar cells arranged closely, with fine pores and dense cavities containing reddish-brown substances. The cell walls of the outer endosperm tissue are not obvious, and they are densely covered with small round clusters of crystals, chrysanthemum-shaped or spherical, with a diameter of 8-20 mm. The cells of the inner endosperm are polygonal, and the cavities contain starch granules and fat droplets.

(2) Take 1g of the coarse powder, add 10ml of anhydrous ethanol, soak for 30 minutes, filter, and take the filtrate as the test solution. Take 1g of the reference drug Ricinus communis and prepare the reference drug solution in the same way. Take the reference substance ricinoleic acid, add anhydrous ethanol to make a solution containing 1μl per 1ml as the reference solution. Carry out the method for thin layer chromatography<0502>, using silica gel G as the coating substance and a mixture of petroleum ether(60-90°C), ethyl acetate, and formic acid (14:4:0.4) as the mobile phase. Apply separately to the plate 1μl of the test solution and the reference drug solution, and 2μl of the reference solution. After developing and removal of the plate, dry in air. Spray with a 1% solution of vanillin sulfuric acid, heat at 110°C to the spots clear. The spots in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution correspond in position and colour to the spots in the chromatograms obtained with the reference drug and the reference solution.

Examination

Water

Not more than 7.0 per cent <0832,method 2>.

Acid value

Determine according to the method for determination of acid value <2303>.

Acid value

Not more than 35.0.

Carbonyl value

Not more than 7.0.

Peroxide value

Not more than 0.20.

Ricinine

Determine according to the method for determination of ricinine by high performance liquid chromatography <0512>.

Chromatographic conditions and system suitability test

Use octadecylsilane bonded silica gel as the filler; use acetonitrile-water-diethylamine (11:89:0.03) as the mobile phase; detect at a wavelength of 307nm. The theoretical plate number calculated based on the peak of ricinine should not be less than 3000.

Preparation of reference solution

Take an appropriate amount of ricinine reference substance, accurately weigh, add methanol to make a solution containing 0.125mg per 1ml.

Preparation of test solution

Take about 2.5g of the powder of this product (passed through a No. 2 sieve), accurately weigh, place it in a Soxhlet extractor, add an appropriate amount of petroleum ether (60-90℃), heat and reflux for 4 hours, discard the petroleum ether solution, evaporate the solvent from the residue, transfer it to a stoppered conical flask, accurately add 50% methanol 50ml, weigh, heat and reflux for 2 hours, cool, weigh again, make up for the lost weight with 50% methanol, shake well, filter, and take the filtrate.

Determination method

Accurately take 10μl of the reference solution and the test solution, inject them into the liquid chromatograph, and determine.

Calculated on the dried product, the content of ricinine (C8H8N2O2) should not exceed 0.32%.

Prepared slices

Castor Bean

Processing

Remove the shell when used, and crush.

Description

Same as the crude drug.

Identification

Same as the crude drug.

Examination

Same as the crude drug.

Property

Neutral.

Toxicity

Toxic.

Flavor

Sweet and pungent.

Meridian tropism

Large intestine and lung meridians.

Actions

To promote bowel movement, relieve constipation, reduce swelling, and detoxify.

Indications

Used for dry stool, carbuncle and swelling, sore throat, and scrofula.

Dosage

2-5g.

Administration

For external use, use an appropriate amount.

Storage

Preserve in a cool and dry place.

蓖麻子

Text reference: Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 Edition)

Overview

Castor Seed is the dried ripe seed of Ricinus communis L. (Fam. Euphorbiaceae). The fruit is collected in autumn when ripe, dried in the sun, removed from the pericarp, and the seed is gathered.

Description

Ellipsoidal or ovoid, slightly flattened, 0.9-1.8 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide. Externally smooth, alternately with greyish-white and blackish-brown or yellowish-brown and reddish-brown piebald striations. One side relatively even, bearing 1 prominent raphe, and the other side slightly raised. A greyish-white or pale brown, prominent caruncle at one end. Testa thin and brittle, endosperm plump, white and oily, cotyledons 2, thin. Odour, slight; taste, slightly bitter and pungent.

Identification

（2）取本品粗粉1g，加无水乙醇10ml，冷浸30分钟，滤过，取滤液作为供试品溶液。另取蓖麻子对照药材1g，同法制成对照药材溶液。再取蓖麻酸对照品，加无水乙醇制成每1ml含1μl的溶液，作为对照品溶液。照薄层色谱法（通则0502）试验，吸取供试品溶液和对照药材溶液各1μl、对照品溶液2μl，分别点于同一硅胶G薄层板上，以石油醚（60～90℃）-乙酸乙酯-甲酸（14：4：0.4）为展开剂，展开，取出，晾干，喷以1%香草醛硫酸溶液，在110℃加热至斑点显色清晰。供试品色谱中，在与对照药材色谱和对照品色谱相应的位置上，显相同颜色的斑点。

Examination

Water

Not more than 7.0 per cent <0832, method 2>.

Ranicidy

Carry out the method for Ranicidy determination <2303>.

Acid value

Not more than 35.0.

Carbonyl value

Not more than 7.0.

Peroxide value

Not more than 0.20.

Assay Ricinine

Carry out the method for high performance liquid chromatography <0512>.

Chromatographic system and system suitability

Use octadecylsilane bonded silica gel as the stationary phase, and a mixture of acetonitrile, water and diethylamine (11:89:0.03) as the mobile phase. As detector a spectrophotometer set at 307 nm. The number of theoretical plates of the column is not less than 3000, calculated with reference to the peak of ricinine.

Reference solution

Dissolve a quantity of ricinine CRS, weighed accurately, in methanol to produce a solution containing 0.125 mg per ml.

Test solution

Weigh accurately 2.5 g of the powder (through No. 2 sieve) into a Soxhlet's extractor, add an appropriate quantity of petroleum ether (60-90℃), heat under reflux for 4 hours, discard the petroleum ether solution. After expelling the solvent, transfer the residue to a stopper conical flask, add accurately 50 ml 50% methanol, weigh, heat under reflux for 2 hour, allow to cool and weigh again, replenish the loss of the weight with 50% methanol, mix well and filter, use the successive filtrate as the test solution.

Procedure

Inject 10 μl of each of the reference and the test solutions, accurately measured, into the column, and calculate the content.

It contains not less than 0.23 per cent of ricinine (C8H8N2O2), calculated with reference to the dried drug.

Prepared slices

Castor Seed

Processing

Eliminate foreign matter, remove the testa and break to pieces before use.

Property

Neutral; sweet and pungent; toxic.

Flavor

Large intestine and lung meridians.

Actions

To purge downward, open bowels, disperse swelling and draw out toxin.

Indications

Dry stool bind, abscesses, cellulitis, swelling and toxin, throat bi disorder, and scrofula.

Dosage

2-5 g. Appropriate amount for topical application.

Administration

Add when the decoction is nearly done.

Storage

Preserve in a cool and dry place.