The castor plant (Ricinus communis) is primarily known for its seeds, which contain a unique fatty acid called ricinoleic acid with several industrial and commercial applications. Castor seeds also contain ricin, a toxin considered a chemical and biological warfare agent. Despite years of investigation, there is still no effective antidote or vaccine available. However, some progress has been made, and the development of an effective treatment may be on the horizon. To provide an updated overview of this issue, we have conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on the current state of research in the fight against ricin. This review is based on the reported research and aims to address the challenges faced by researchers, as well as highlight the most successful cases achieved thus far. Our goal is to encourage the scientific community to continue their efforts in this critical search.

• Klíčová slova
• Ricin inhibitors, chemical warfare, drug design, medicinal chemistry, ribosome-inactivating protein., ricin A chain,
• MeSH
• antidota * chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• chemické bojové látky chemie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• ricin * antagonisté a inhibitory   chemie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antidota * MeSH
• chemické bojové látky MeSH
• ricin * MeSH

We report for the first time the efficient use of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) for extraction of ricin to analytical purposes, followed by the combined use of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and MALDI-TOF MS/MS method. That has provided a fast and unambiguous method of ricin identification for in real cases of forensic investigation of suspected samples. Additionally, MALDI-TOF MS was applied to characterize the presence and the toxic activity of ricin in irradiated samples. Samples containing ricin were subjected to ASE, irradiated with different dosages of gamma radiation, and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS/MS for verification of the intact protein signal. For identification purposes, samples were previously subjected to SDS-PAGE, for purification and separation of the chains, followed by digestion with trypsin, and analysis by MALDI-TOF MS/MS. The results were confirmed by verification of the amino acid sequences of some selected peptides by MALDI-TOF MS/MS. The samples residual toxic activity was evaluated through incubation with a DNA substrate, to simulate the attack by ricin, followed by MALDI-TOF MS/MS analyses.

• Klíčová slova
• CBRN defense, MALDI-TOF MS, biological weapons, chemical weapons, ricin,
• MeSH
• aceton chemie   MeSH
• elektroforéza v polyakrylamidovém gelu MeSH
• hexany chemie   MeSH
• peptidy analýza   chemie   MeSH
• ricin analýza   chemie   MeSH
• rozpouštědla chemie   MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• spektrometrie hmotnostní - ionizace laserem za účasti matrice MeSH
• tandemová hmotnostní spektrometrie MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• aceton MeSH
• hexany MeSH
• n-hexane MeSH Prohlížeč
• peptidy MeSH
• ricin MeSH
• rozpouštědla MeSH