EAHHS Hu tern VtAime If. Numb* I 4 2 TflOf 
9 
There are published reports of 
human deaths resulting from the use 
«»f aloe leaves (Verdcoun & Trump, 
1969: Drummond cl ai. 1975). 
Interestingly. Kokwaro 1 1993) stated 
that .4 baUyi is used as a purgative. 
In Kenya, and probably elsewhere, 
several get-rich-quick merchants are 
paying local people in rural areas to 
collect aloe leaf exudates for (illegal) 
export, to Ik- used in the cosmetics 
and health products industry. These 
local collectors, who are paid very 
little but are glad of any income, may 
collect indiscriminately from any 
aloes that they find in the bush. In 
my travels I have seen the remains 
of Aloe ngongcnsls. A scabrijblia, A. 
secundlflora and A. turhanensis. 
butchered during harvesting of 
leaves. This is an alarming trend, not 
only for the threat posed to Aloe 
populations, but also because it is 
possible for exudates from some 
poisonous species to Ik- Included in 
the exported product. I have no) seen 
defoliated Aloe nispolUnui plants in tlic 
wild. and perhaps they are avoided 
because of the absence of the 
conspicuous yellow exudate that is 
characteristic of most other species. 
I lowever. it is a widespread species 
and there is the danger that it might 
lx.- used. 
References 
Carter. S. (1994). Aloaceae. In K. M 
Polhill ted.). Flora of Tropical Fast 
Africa. Balkema, Rotterdam 
Dring.J V. R J Nash, M F. Roberts & 
T. Reynolds (1984). Hemlock 
alkaloid* in Aloes 
Occurrence and distribution o! g- 
conkeine. Mun la Medic a 1984: 365- 
458. 
Drummond. R.B.. M. Gelfand tk S Mavi 
i 1975). Medicinal and other use* of 
succulents by the Rhodesian African 
Fxcelsa 5: 51-56. 
Kokwaro. J. O. ( 19931 Medicinal Mauls of 
Fast Africa Fain 2. Kenya Literature 
Burcau. Nairobi. 
Lavranos. J. (1995). Aloaceae In M 
Thulin (ed >. Flora of Somalia 4 35- 
12. Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew 
Nash. R.J..J. Beaumont, N.C Veltch. T. 
Reynolds, J. Benner. CN G Hughes, 
J A Dring, R.N Bennett & J E. Dollar 
U9921 Phcnylethylaminc and 
piperidine alkaloids in Aloe species. 
llama Medica 58: 84-87 
Newton, 1) J. & II. Vaughan ( 1996) 
South .Africa s A he fence Mam. Farts 
and Derivalii o Industry TRAIT! C 
Hast/Southern Africa. 
Johannesburg. 
Reynolds. G W ( 1966) The Aloes of 
Tropical Africa and Madagascar. Ak*s 
Book Fund. Mbabane 
Reynolds, T (1997) Comparative 
chromatographic patterns of leaf 
exudate components from Aloe 
Section Pachydendrrm I law Itoianlcal 
Journal if tire Unman Society 1 25 45- 
70. 
Sehsebe Dcmissew & M G. Gilbert 
(1997). Aloaceae In: 8 Edwards. 
Scbscbe Dcmisscw & I Hcdberg 
<cd ). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 6: 
117-135 University. Addis Ababa & 
University, Uppsala 
Verdcoun. B & E.C Trump (1969). 
OOmmon Potuntnus Plai us of Fast Africa 
Collins. London. 
Watt. J. M ik M. G Breycr-Brandwi|k 
( 1962). The Medicinal and Poisonous 
Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa 
F.dn.2. Livingstone. Edinburgh Ik 
London. 
