INTRODUCTION:

Aloe vera is well known for its therapeutic potential. A number of beneficial effects of Aloe vera have been reported wound and burn healing, hypoglycemic, anticancer, gastro-protective, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. These therapeutic properties of Aloe vera have been employed for a number of commercial applications. Aloe was previously considered in family Liliaceae, but now it has been placed in its own family Aloaceae¹

It finds its origin in South and East Africa as well as in Mediterranean regions. It has more than 400 species and is found throughout the world but mostly grows in subtropical areas. It is a perennial, succulent and shrubby plant with green leaves (color varies from bright green to gray) arranged in a rosette pattern at the stem. The leaves are triangular and fleshy. India is the largest producer of medicinal herbs and is called as botanical garden of the world²

The present review provides details on its composition and pharmaceutical uses as well as its application in foods and cosmetics. It is expected that further information will be available at a faster rate in the near future, resulting in enhanced applications.

Aloe vera is well known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, sunburn relief, immune boost, anti-ageing and anticancer properties ³

Phyto-chemistry of aloe vera gel has revealed the presence of more than 200 bioactive chemicals.

There are over 550 species of aloe grown world over. However, only two species are grown commercially i.e. Aloe barbadensis Miller (Aloe vera) and Aloe aborescens Miller. There are at least two other species that have medicinal properties namely Aloe perry baker and Aloe ferox. Most aloe vera plants are non toxic but a few are extremely poisonous containing a hemlock like substance ⁴

Synonym:

Aloe barbadensis Miller, Aloe chinensis Bak., Aloe elongata Murray, Aloe indica Royle, A. officinalis Forsk., A. perfoliata L., A. rubescens DC, A. vera L. var. littoralis König ex Bak., A. vera L. var. chinensis Berger, A. vulgaris Lam. Most formularies and reference books regard Aloe barbadensis Mill. as the correct species name, and Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. as a synonym. According to International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature (IRBN), Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. is the legitimate name for this species ⁵

Composition of Aloe vera:

Aloe vera is a succulent, tender plant containing a high water content (99–99.5%). Solid contents range from 0.5–1% and consist of a variety of active components i.e. fat and water soluble minerals, vitamins, simple/complex polysaccharides, organic acids, enzymes and phenolic compounds.⁶ The leaf consists of three layers i.e. gel, latex and rind.

Ethno-botany of Aloe Vera:

Aloe is known as Kumari or “Young Girl”, because aloe is believed to bring back youthful energy and femininity. Aloe is used as a tonic for the female reproductive system. Aloe is said to have alliterative, tonic, rejuvenating, purgative, and vulnerary actions in Ayurveda. It is used in traditional Indian medicine for constipation, colic, skin diseases, worm infestations and infections. Charak Samhita and Sushruta Samhita give extensive description on various medicinal herbs.⁷

Phytochemistry of Aloe Vera:

There are as many as 200 different types of molecules in aloe vera⁸. The aloe vera leaf gel contains about 98% water⁹. The aloe vera gel contains many vitamins including the important antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin B1 (thiamine), niacin, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), choline and folic acid are also present.¹⁰

Therapeutic Use:

· Wound Healing

· Anti-Inflammatory Action

· Moisturizing and Anti-Aging Agent

· Effects on the Immune System

· Antitumor Activity

Medicinal Uses:

Aloe vera has been used for medicinal purposes in several cultures for millennia: Greece, Egypt, India, Mexico, Japan, and China.¹¹

· Cosmetic & Skin Protection Application

· Antiseptic

· Anti Diabetic

· Anticancer Properties

· Stress

Cosmetic and Skin Protection Application:

Aloe vera is also used for soothing the skin, and keeping the skin moist to help avoid flaky scalp and skin in harsh and dry weather. The Aloe sugars are also used in moisturizing preparations.¹²

Antiseptic:

The antiseptic property of Aloe vera is due to presence of six antiseptic agents namely lupeol, salicylic acid, urea nitrogen, cinnamonic acid, phenols and sulphur. These compounds have inhibitory action on fungi, bacteria and viruses.

Anti Diabetic:

Aloe vera contains polysaccharides which increase the insulin level and show hypoglycemic properties¹³ The five phytosterols of A. vera, lophenol, 24-methyllophenol, 24-ethyl-lophenol, cycloartanol and 24-methylenecycloartanol showed anti-diabetic effects in type-2 diabetic mice.¹⁴

Anticancer Properties:

Aloe vera juice enables the body to heal itself from cancer and also from the damage caused by radio and chemotherapy that destroys healthy immune cells crucial for the recovery. Aloe vera emodin, an anthraquinone, has the ability to suppress or inhibit the growth of malignant cancer cells making it to have antineoplastic properties.¹⁵

Stress:

Aloe juice is helpful in smooth functioning of the body machinery. It reduces cell-damaging process during stress condition and minimizes biochemical and physiological changes in the body.¹⁶

Teeth and gum protection:

Aloe vera is widely used in the field of dentistry to treat a variety of dental complications, such as to relieve pain and accelerate healing after periodontal flap surgery¹⁷

Antimicrobial agent:

An antimicrobial agent is a substance having the ability to inhibit or delay the growth of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Aloe vera gel can effectively inhibit the growth of food borne spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Stroptococcus, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger, Candida etc.

CONCLUSION:

Aloe vera have been reported in wound and burn healing, hypoglycemic, anticancer, gastro-protective, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory plant. Aloe vera has found importance in a variety of products including foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The plant has importance in everyday life in treating skin ailments such as mild cuts and eczema along with skin moisturizing and anti ageing, digestive tract health, blood and lymphatic circulation and functioning of kidney, liver and gall bladder makes it a boon to human kind. The plant is in need to a greater research emphasis for better utilization of this plant for humankind as it is nature’s gift to humanity.

REFERENCES:

1. David, 1999 Aloevera nature’s gift Blackdown Publication, Bristol, England.

2. Farha F. and Anil K. (2020) Antidiabetic medicinal plants used by indigenous people of Ranchi District of Jharkhand, India, EJPMR, 2020(7)3, 490-492.

3. Langmead, L., Makins, R.J., Rampton, D.S., 2004. Anti-inflammatory effects of Aloe vera gel in human colorectal mucosa in vitro. Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 19, 521–527.

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5. “African Pharmacopoeia,” Vol. 1, Organization of African Unity, Scientific, Technical & Research Commission, Lagos, 1985.

6. Hamman (2008) Composition and applications of aloe vera leaf gel. Molecules 13(8), 1599-1616.

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11. M. Marshall, “Aloe vera Gel: What Is the Evidence?” The Pharmaceutical Journal, Vol. 24, 1990, pp. 360-362.

12. Barcroft and Myskja, “Aloe vera: Nature’s Silent Healer,” BAAM, 2003

13. Yagi, Y. Sato, Y. Miwa, A. Kabbash, S. Moustafa, K. Shimomura and A. El-Bassuony, “Ribosomal DNA Sequence Analysis of Different Geographically Distributed Aloe vera Plants: Comparison with Clonally Regenerated Plants,” Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, Vol. 14, No. 3-4, 2006, pp. 208-211.

14. Tanaka, et al., “Identification of Five Phytosterols from Aloe vera Gel as Antidiabetic Compounds,” Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, Vol. 29, No. 7, 2006, pp. 1418-1422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1248/bpb.29.1418

15. R. H. Thomson, “Naturally Occurring Quinines,” 2nd Edition, Academy Press, London, 1971.

16. L. Saroj, D. G. Dhandar and R. S. Singh, “Indian Aloe,” Central Institute for Arid Horticulture, Bikaner, 2004

17. Eshun, K., He, Q., 2004. Aloe vera: a valuable ingredient for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries: a review. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 44 (2), 91–96.

Received on 05.06.2021 Modified on 25.06.2021

Asian J. Pharm. Res. 2021; 11(4):257-259.

DOI: 10.52711/2231-5691.2021.00045