Abrin laboratory animals

Numerous laboratory studies in mammals have demonstrated that ricin and abrin are highly toxic and potentially fatal to animals and humans. Major symptoms of both ricin and abrin poisoning are dependent on the route of exposure, the dose (or number of beans) received, or the content of toxin in the seed (or age of seed). Upon ingestion, toxicity is dependent on the degree of mastication if the bean was... 

Ricin and related type 2 RIP plant toxins are comparably lethal to laboratory mice under controlled conditions (Table 17.3). Variations in the LD50 values for a single toxin reported by different laboratories are comparable with variations among different toxins. Few controlled animal studies are available for several of these toxins, and comparisons among laboratories are limited by differences in toxin preparations, animal strains, and methodologies employed. The postexposure observation period is a particularly important variable for example, the literature values for the acute toxicity of abrin vary by 80-fold depending on whether intoxicated animals are observed for 24 or 48 h after exposure (Dickers et al., 2003). 

---