PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND LARVICIDAL ACTIVITY OF ALOE VERA

Abstract

This study assessed phytochemical constituents and larvicidal activity of aloe vera leaf extract. Aloe vera, sometimes described as a “wonder plant”, is a short stemmed succulent shrub growing to 60-100cm (24-39 inch) tall and spreading by offsets. The leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-green with some varieties showing white flecks on the upper and lower stem surface (Yates, word 2013). Fresh leaves of Aloe vera were collected from cultivated sources within or near the university premises. The plant were authenticated by a taxonomist in the Department of Biological Sciences, UDUS. The collected leaves were thoroughly washed with clean water to remove dust and debris. The green outer rind were removed to extract the inner gel. The result indicates that Aloe vera leaves contain numerous secondary metabolites with potential bioactive and therapeutic effects. The high presence of saponins and glycosides suggests possible insecticidal and larvicidal properties, while flavonoids and tannins contribute to antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The non-detection of anthraquinones implies their absence or very low concentration in the ethanolic extract. The study demonstrated that ethanolic leaf extract of Aloe vera contains several important phytochemical constituents, including saponins, glycosides, volatile oils, and flavonoids, which contribute to its significant larvicidal activity. The extract showed a concentration-dependent mortality effect on mosquito larvae, with the highest mortality observed at 250% concentration after 72 hours of exposure. The study recommended; Advanced studies should be carried out to isolate and characterize the specific bioactive compounds responsible for larvicidal activity in Aloe vera using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques.