castor oil is used in food additives, flavorings, candy, chocolat
as a mold inhibitor
-Having medicinal & Cosmetics value
Castor
oil
castor bean oil / castor cooking oil / castor seed oil
/ castor seed oil extract
Castor oil is a vegetable
oil obtained from the castor
bean (technically castor seedas the castor
plant, Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae), is not
a member of the beanfamily). Castor oil (CAS
number ********4) is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid
with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling
point is **3
°C (**5 °F) and
its density is **1 kg/m3. It is
a triglyceride in which approximately *0 percent of fatty
acid chains are ricinoleic
acid. Oleic and linoleic acids are the other
significant components
Uses
Castor oil in
polyurethane
Castor oil can be used as bio-based polyol in the polyurethane
industry. The average functionality of castor oil is 2.7, so it is
widely used as rigid polyol of polyurethane industry.
Castor oil in
food
In the food industry, castor oil (food grade) is used in food
additives, flavorings, candy (e.g.,
chocolate), as a mold inhibitor, and in packaging.
Polyoxyethylated castor oil (e.g., Cremophor
EL) is also used in the food industries.
As food grain
preservative
In India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, food grains are preserved
by applying castor oil. It stops rice, wheat, and pulses from
rotting. Also, by applying castor oil, the food becomes easy to
digest.
Medicinal use of
castor oil
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
categorized castor oil as "generally recognized as safe and
effective" (GRASE) for over-the-counter use as a laxative,
with its major site of action the small
intestine. Although it may be used for constipation, it
is not a preferred treatment, because it can produce painful
cramps, fecal incontinence and explosive diarrhea. Its action can
go on for hours, sometimes unpredictably and powerfully causing an
involuntary bowel movement at inconvenient locations and during
sleep.
Undecylenic acid, a castor oil derivative, is also FDA-approved for
over-the-counter use on skin disorders or skin
problems. Castor
oil penetrates deep into the skin due to its molecular mass,
which is low enough to penetrate into the stratum corneum.
Castor isostearate succinate is a polymeric mixture
of esters with isostearic acid and succinic
acid used for skin conditioning, such as
in shampoo, lipstick and lip balm.
