Areca nut leave extract shows promise as bio-insecticide, mosquito repellant!

Mangaluru: Areca nut cultivation is becoming a profitable crop. Every part of the areca nut plant, including areca husk, and even the leaves, has proven to have beneficial properties. Recent studies have uncovered a potential new use of the areca nut plant.

Studies have revealed a fascinating new use for areca nut leaves: they can be employed as insecticides and mosquito repellents. This discovery could potentially help control mosquito populations responsible for malaria, dengue, and chikungunya.

Experts from the Arecanut Research and Development Foundation (ARDF) have compiled and published findings on the insecticidal properties of areca nut leaves and their extracts. This study suggests that the leaves, which often fall and decay in plantations or are used as firewood, could serve as a valuable source of “biological insecticide.” Pharmaceutical companies might take an interest in developing this further.

Traditionally, burning betel nut leaves was known to repel mosquitoes. However, inhaling the smoke is considered harmful and is not advisable. Instead, using the extract from areca nut leaves as an insecticide is suggested as a better option by researchers.

Experiments using oil extracted from areca nuts and juice from the leaves demonstrated significant efficacy in killing larvae. The juice from the leaves was found to be particularly effective.

Larvae Study

Researcher Vinayagan conducted studies using methanolic extracts of areca nut leaves on malaria-causing Anopheles mosquito larvae. Another researcher, Tennyson, tested the extracts on dengue-causing Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae. Both studies confirmed that the leaf extract effectively killed the larvae.

Key Findings of the Studies

• Burning the leaves in halves and using the smoke to repel mosquitoes is an old practice. However, continuous inhalation of this smoke can be harmful to human health.
• Oil extracted oil from areca nuts by steam distillation method, tested on mosquito larvae, was found to kill about 23% of them.
• Extracts from areca nut leaves were more effective than oil, successfully killing larvae of both Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes. Thus, the leaf extract proved to be more potent than the oil.
• On average, 5-6 leaves fall from each areca nut tree annually. With 800,000 hectares of areca nut plantations in the country, these leaves are currently underutilized. Using these leaves to produce biological insecticides could be a viable solution for mosquito control.

For several years, many scientists have been studying the insecticidal properties of areca nut leaves. The ARDF has consolidated these studies and published the findings, which could pave the way for further research. “We hope that pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions will undertake further research,” said Dr. Sarpangala Keshava Bhatt, Executive Officer, Arecanut Research and Development Foundation.

Translated from a Kannada article by Venuvinod K.S.