Characterization, composition and determination of the sugars in ricinotoxin from Ricinus communis L. seeds.

The purified ricinotoxin from Ricinus communis L. seeds appears to be a glycoprotein. Either paper or gas-liquid chromatographic methods indicate that only mannose and N-acetyl-glucosamine are present in significant amounts. Quantitative determination shows that one mole of ricinotoxin contains 15 mannose residues and 8 N-acetyl-glucosamine residues.