abrine
n. uncountablen. a very strong poison found in some plants, like the castor bean. It is so powerful that even a tiny amount can be deadly.
n. a toxic protein found in the seeds of the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis. It is one of the most potent naturally occurring toxins, capable of inhibiting protein synthesis in cells.
The seeds of the castor plant contain a deadly poison called abrine.
While the oil from the castor bean is used in medicine, the seeds themselves contain abrine, which is extremely dangerous if ingested.
The mechanism of abrine involves the irreversible inactivation of ribosomes, effectively halting the production of essential proteins within the host cell and leading to rapid cell death.
Last updated June 22, 2026