Ricin yog cytotoxicity. Thaum twg cov taug lom nkag rau hauv lub cev, cov A thiab B sib cais. Txoj saw A nkag mus rau hauv lub cell membrane thiab nkag mus rau cytoplasm, uas tsuas yog inhibits thiab inactivates lub ribosomes ntawm eukaryotic hlwb, yog li inhibiting protein synthesis. Txoj hlua B khi rau lub ntsej muag ntawm tes thiab hloov mus rau hauv lub cell los ntawm kev ntxeem tau, uas tuaj yeem txhawb txoj saw A kom nkag mus rau cytoplasm.
Ricin muaj cov nyhuv cuam tshuam loj heev rau nas Ehrlich ascites qog hlwb, ntshav qog ntshav LD12, B16 qog thiab Levens mob qog nqaij hlav hauv lub hlwb. Nws yog feem ntau tua cov qog nqaij hlav cancer los ntawm inhibiting protein synthesis. Tsis tas li ntawd, nws tau pom tias nws muaj cov teebmeem synergistic nrog lwm cov tshuaj, xws li ricin thiab adriamycin, uas muaj cov teebmeem synergistic rau kev tua cov ntshav qog ntshav.