Castor Oil: A Natural Remedy with Promising Potential for Parkinson's Disease Prevention

Background: Ricinus communis L, commonly known as the castor oil plant, is a valuable traditional medicine that has been used for thousands of years around the world. The plant contains a diverse range of phytochemicals with various medicinal properties, including anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, central analgesic, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anti-viral, and wound healing activities. Its many beneficial compounds make it a valuable natural remedy for numerous health conditions. Objectives: The present study investigated the preventive effect of castor oil on malathion-induced Parkinson's disease (PD)-like behaviors in rats. Methods: Rats were divided into 8 groups: control (normal saline), malathion (100 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneal injection (IP)), castor oil (0.05, 0.1, or 0.5 mL/kg/day, orally) plus malathion, levodopa (10 mg/kg/day, IP) plus malathion, castor oil (0.5 mg/kg/day, orally), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) (vehicle of levodopa) groups. All treatments were administered for 28 days, after which neurobehavioral tests such as open field, rotarod, and catalepsy were performed. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in serum and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and interleukin (IL)-6 in the striatum were measured at the end of the treatment period to assess the potential effects of castor oil. Results: The finding of this study indicated that malathion-induced neurobehavioral toxicity was together with the increase of MDA, TNFα, and IL-6 levels, a decrease of GSH, and AChE activity that was reversed by treatment with castor oil. Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that castor oil may have potential therapeutic effects for PD by improving antioxidant status and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, which are both factors that can contribute to the toxicity of pesticides like malathion. However, more research is needed to fully understand the potential protective effects of castor oil in this context.