Scientists from the American Chemical Society (ACS) have discovered insecticidal properties in aloe. The results of the study will be presented at the annual meeting of the ACS 2023 association members.
The authors examined the leaves and stem of the plant. Apparently, they contain six substances that can repel mosquitoes and other insects. These include octacosan molecules, as well as nonadecanone, arjugenin, dinoterb, 2-hexyl-1-decanol, and kilaic acid.
These substances can form the basis of harmless pesticides from the waste of cosmetic production with aloe juice. Thus, scientists solve two problems at once: Production using plants becomes waste-free and inexpensive, and insect repellents will no longer pose a threat to ecosystems and human health.
In the future, researchers will test how well these substances work against agricultural pests in real fields. In addition, the authors want to test whether aloe can be used to control mites.
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