The effect of ammoniation upon ricinine in castor meal

When castor meal is detoxified by treatment with ammonia to destroy ricin and various allergens the amount of ricinine, a toxic pyridone normally present in castor, is also reduced by about 25%. It was shown that the majority of ricine loss can be accounted for by the production of 4-amino-3-cyano-N-methyl-2-pyridone, a product formed by displacement of the original methoxyl group of ricinine with ammonia. In vitro enzymatic studies have demonstrated that neither this compound nor ricinine significantly affects lactate dehydrogenase. Another possible derivative of ricinine formed from ammoniation, 4-amino-3-carboxamido-N-methyl-2-pyridone, which was not found in ammoniated castor meal,did inhibit lactate dehydrogenase. W. Market. Nutr. Res. Div., ARS, USD