Toxic Roadside Plant Turns into “Green Gold”! Scientists Discover a Plastic-Alternative Wonder Plant: Calotropis gigantea

Plastic pollution is a global challenge because plastic products are hard to degrade. They not only pile up in landfills but also flow into the oceans and return to our dining tables through the food chain. Moreover, synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon release microplastics when washed, further polluting water sources. Finding natural and biodegradable alternatives has become an urgent task.

Prof. XU Jianchu leads a research team at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who has turned their attention to a neglected toxic plant—Calotropis gigantea, which is widely distributed in Yunnan, Guangxi, and other places in China, growing by the roadside, in wastelands, and on dry and hot hillsides. Its stems and leaves contain white latex, which is toxic but has natural antibacterial and anti-mite properties. Traditionally, the fiber of Calotropis gigantea has been used for making ropes, but its seed floss fiber has not been deeply studied.

While screening over 500 types of plant fibers globally, Prof. Xu’s team unexpectedly found that the seed floss fibers of Calotropis gigantea are extremely fine, with a diameter of only 8 to 12 micrometers, even finer than cotton and comparable to cashmere. These hollow floss fibers are lightweight, warm, breathable, and resistant to pilling. The team dubbed them “plant cashmere,” believing that this kind of fiber has the potential to replace traditional synthetic fibers and wool.

Calotropis gigantea is abundant in the arid and semi-arid regions south of the Sahara in Africa. Scientists have launched the “African Calotropis Fiber Research and Development Project,” delving into the African interior to study the plant’s growth environment and characteristics. They discovered that domesticating and cultivating Calotropis gigantea could not only bring oases back to desert areas but also open up a sustainable development “Silk Road” connecting China and Africa.

To gain a deep understanding of the properties of Calotropis gigantea fibers, Prof. Xu’s team utilized “multi-omics” technology to study the plant from the genetic to the molecular level. They also developed an enzymatic treatment process to replace traditional chemical agents, which not only saves 76% of water and reduces energy consumption by over 60% but also maintains the integrity of the fibers.

Currently, some enterprises have started to make clothing from Calotropis gigantea fibers. The fabric woven from this “plant cashmere” is warm, breathable, lightweight, and completely biodegradable, being environmentally friendly. In addition, Calotropis gigantea fibers can also be used as alternatives for packaging materials, medical dressings, and filtration materials.

Planting Calotropis gigantea can also help restore ecosystems, prevent soil desertification, and improve soil quality. Prof. Xu’s team plans to further improve the yield and quality of Calotropis gigantea fibers through genetic editing technology and collaborate with clothing companies to develop more comfortable “plant cashmere” fabrics. In the future, Calotropis gigantea fibers are expected to be widely used in the fields of clothing and home textiles, providing new ideas for solving plastic pollution.

This once-neglected toxic plant, Calotropis gigantea, is now becoming the “green gold” in the eyes of scientists to tackle environmental problems.

 

 

Original Chinese Article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/T_HY9DnWSu-U_IGOVhLRnA

Translator: Sara

Reviewed by: YJ

Editor: Sara    

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

 

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