Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
were shown to inhibit polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocyte infiltration to a site of gelatin-induced
inflammation in diabetic animals.
141,144
In the management of burn wounds, it was found that Hartley guinea pigs that received full-
thickness burns covering 3% of their body surface area by direct contact with a hot plate were
completely healed in 30 days versus 50 days for the control group dressed with gauze occlusive
dressing.
142
One comparative study of the burn wound-healing activity of aloe vera and that of 1%
silver sulfadiazine cream concluded that AVG hindered the healing process in second-degree burns
in the guinea pig.
143
The aloe juice has been found effective in the treatment of third-degree X-ray
burns; more recently, it has been advocated in treating atomic radiation burns.
144,145
At a dose of 60 mg/kg, aloe vera powder was found to increase both the fertility rate and the litter
size of female rabbits.
146
The plant was also useful in menstrual irregularities and functional steril-
it y.
147,148
Aloe vera is incorporated in several dietary supplements for its beneficial effects as an anti-
oxidant and in the prevention of premature tissue aging. Interestingly, AVG does not include the sap
of
Aloe vera
, which contains anthraquinones. AVG is widely used in cosmetics and toiletries for its
moisturizing and revitalizing action. The organic whole leaf of
Aloe vera
is reported to aid in cellular
repair and in digestion and assimilation of foods, vitamins, minerals, and other vital nutrients.
149
The
rheological characteristics of native
Aloe
gel and juice under dynamic and steady shear have been
evaluated for its use in topical formulations. The damping of the elastic moduli and viscous moduli
at various temperatures for the
Aloe
gel under oscillatory shear tests have been reported and were
observed due to the presence of the weak, fibrous, and random structure of polysaccharides in it. The
moduli for gel increased with increasing temperature and that for juice decreased with temperature.
Prior to attaining the plateau region after a certain shear rate, AVG and juice exhibited shear thin-
ning behavior, with a flow behavior index for
Aloe
gel samples of 0.1 in the shear thinning region.
150
Aloe vera
has been found useful for the treatment of various diseases, including diabetes, and
studies have established that it possesses antifungal,
151
antihyperlipidemia, antiatherosclerosis, and
anti-inflammatory152
152
properties and is used in management of gastrointestinal disorders.
153
Toxicity —
Aloe vera
is generally regarded as safe and no serious adverse effects or toxicity have
been reported. However, a caution was raised by the U.S. National Toxicology Program, which has
found that rats grew tumors after drinking water spiked with an extract of the plant. The rodents were
given relatively high doses of a whole-leaf extract of
Aloe vera
over 2 years.
154
In rats that had drunk
water containing 1.5% by weight of the extract, 39% of females and 74% of males had malignant or
benign tumors in their large intestines. The report indicated that none of these growths was seen in
rats given pure drinking water. It is believed that the tumors were probably caused by aloin A. In 2002,
products containing aloin A or aloe extracts were removed from laxatives sold over the counter in U.S.
pharmacies because manufacturers did not provide sufficient safety information to the U.S. FDA.
155
ALOE FEROX
Over 80 species of
Aloe
(family Liliaceae) occur in various parts of the world. The main species
found growing in Africa is
Aloe ferox,
which yields the so-called Cape aloe. Another common spe-
cies is
Aloe barbadensis
(discussed in the preceding section), which is the source of Curacao aloe.
Socotrine and Zanzibar varieties originate from
Aloe perryi
.
Botanical Name —
Aloe ferox
Miller
Synonyms —
Pachidendron ferox
(Mill.) Haw.,
Pachidendron supralaeva
( Haw.) Haw.,
Pachidendron pseudo ferox
(Salm-Dyck) Haw.,
Aloe galpini
Baker.,
Aloe horrida
Haw.,
Aloe muri-
cata
Haw.
Family —
Asparagaceae
Common Names —
Aloe, Cape aloe
African Names —
Arabic; Swahili: shubiri
