The world's strongest poison. It's hidden in a plant that Poles like to plant in their gardens.
Author: Prepared by KKR • Source: Rynek Zdrowia, Gazeta.pl • Published: June 15, 2025 15:12 • Updated: June 15, 2025 15:12
Although it often delights in gardens and parks, few people realize how dangerous this plant can be. Castor bean, also known as common tick beetle, contains one of the most potent poisons in the world — ricin. Even a small amount of this substance can lead to fatal poisoning.
In Poland, castor bean is often an ornament in home gardens, parks or squares. Although the plant attracts attention with its spectacular leaves and red fruit, it is worth remembering that it hides a huge threat.
As Gazeta.pl explains, castor bean (Ricinus communis) is a species of plant from the Euphorbia family. It is also sometimes called simply castor bean or common tick - due to its characteristic seeds resembling blood-sucked female ticks.
The plant, which comes from northeastern Africa and the Middle East, can grow up to 4 meters high. Interestingly, its seeds are used to produce the widely used castor oil , which is used in both cosmetics and industry.
However, it is in the seeds that the deadly threat lies. The Botanical Garden of the University of Warsaw reminded us that castor bean seeds contain a substance that is six thousand times more potent than cyanide, and a lethal dose is considered to be one above 2 mg/kg. This substance is ricin. Consuming even a small amount of ricin leads to severe poisoning.
Possible effects of ricin poisoning include:
- ulcerative and hemorrhagic changes in the digestive system,
- renal tubular necrosis,
- hypoglycemia,
- purulent pneumonia,
- respiratory tract ulceration.
Typical symptoms usually appear within hours of contact with the poison. The most common symptoms of poisoning include :
- fever,
- excessive sweating,
- muscle pain,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- dehydration.
One of the most dangerous aspects of ricin poisoning is the fact that there is no antidote. There is no antidote for ricin , and attempts to remove it from the body are ineffective. In such situations, treatment is limited to relieving the symptoms of inflammation and treating kidney and liver failure.
Therefore, even a small contact with the seeds of this plant can end tragically . Doctors can only try to maintain the body's functions until the toxin is naturally excreted.
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