Ricinus Communis Linn: a Phytopharmacological Review

Medicinal plants have a vital role to preserve the human healthy life. The large family Euphorbiaceae contains nearly about 300 genera and 7,500 species. Generally they are the flowering plants. Amongst all, the Ricinus communis or castor plant has high traditional and medicinal value for maintain the disease free healthy life. Traditionally the plant is used as laxative, purgative, fertilizer and fungicide etc. whereas the plant possess beneficial effects such as anti-oxidant, antihistamic, Antinociceptive, antiasthmatic, antiulcer, immunemodulatory, Antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, Antifertility, anti inflammatory, antimicrobial, central nervous system stimulant, lipolytic, wound healing, insecticidal and Larvicidal and many other medicinal properties. This activity of the plant possess due to the important phytochemical constituents like flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, alkaloids and steroids etc. The aim of this paper is to explain the details of phyto-pharmacological properties of Ricinus communis for the future research work.