Facts & Comparisons > Aloe

Aloe

Scientific names: Aloe vera, A. perryi (Zanzibar or Socotrine aloe), A. barbadensis (also called A. vera or A. vulgaris (Curacao or Barbados aloe), or A. ferox (Cape aloe). A. vera and A. vera may not be the same species.

Common names: Aloe also is known as aloe vera, as well as Cape, Zanzibar, Socotrine, Curacao, or Barbados aloes.

Efficacy rating:

ÒÒÒ...Positive clinical trials

Safety rating:

●...No safety concerns despite wide use.

What is Aloe?

Aloes, of which there are approximately 500 species, belong to the family Liliaceae. The name, meaning “bitter and shiny substance,” derives from the Arabic “alloeh.” Indigenous to the Cape of Good Hope, these perennial succulents grow throughout most of Africa, southern Arabia, and Madagascar, and are cultivated in Japan, North and South America, and in the Caribbean and Mediterranean regions. They do not grow in rain forests or arid deserts. Often attractive ornamental plants, their fleshy leaves are stiff and spiny along the edges and grow in a rosette. Aloe gel is a clear, thin, gelatinous material that is obtained by crushing the mucilaginous cells found in the inner tissue of the leaf.

What is Aloe used for?

Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses

Drawings of aloe have been found in wall carvings of Egyptian temples erected in the fourth millennium BC. Called the “Plant of Immortality”, it was a traditional funerary gift for the pharaohs. The Egyptian Book of Remedies (ca. 1500 BC) notes the use of aloe in curing infections, treating the skin, and preparing drugs that were chiefly used as laxatives. The Bible (John 19:39-40) says that Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes for the preparation of Christ's body. Alexander is said to have conquered the island of Socotra to obtain control of it. The Greek physician Dioscorides, in 74 AD, recorded its use to heal wounds, stop hair loss, treat genital ulcers, and eliminate hemorrhoids. In the 6th century AD, Arab traders carried it to Asia. From the Mediterranean region, it was carried to the New World in the 16th century by the Spaniards. In the modern era, its clinical use began in the 1930s as a treatment for roentgen dermatitis.

Skin conditions/Wound healer

The aloe yields 2 commercially important products. “Aloe resin” is the solid residue obtained by evaporating the latex obtained from the cells beneath the skin. The bitter yellow latex contains the anthraquinone. The anthraquinones are local irritants in the GI tract and have been used in treating certain skin diseases such as psoriasis.

A second product, aloe gel, is a clear, thin, gelatinous material obtained by crushing the mucilaginous cells found in the inner tissue of the leaf. The gel is the product used most frequently in the cosmetic and health food industries. This product does not generally contain the anthraquinones. The gel contains a polysaccharide, similar to guar gum. It is this component that is believed to contribute mostly to the emollient effect of the gel. Aloe contains bradykininase, which relieves pain and decreases swelling and redness. Magnesium lactate, by blocking histamine production, may contribute to the anti-itch effect of aloe. An antiprostaglandin that reduces inflammation also has been isolated. “Aloe vera gel extract” is not actually an extract, but rather the pulverized whole leaves of the plant.

Aloe appears to inhibit infection and promote healing of minor burns and wounds, frostbite, and possibly of skin affected by diseases such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. Studies generally have found preparations containing aloe to accelerate wound healing.

Other uses

Dried aloe latex is used with caution as a drastic cathartic.

What is the dosage of Aloe?

As a gel, A. vera may be applied externally ad lib. The resin product is cathartic at doses of 250 mg, and is not recommended for internal use.

Is Aloe safe?

Contraindications

Its use is contraindicated in pregnant and nursing women, children younger than 12 years of age, patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and elderly patients with suspected intestinal obstruction.

Pregnancy/nursing

Documented adverse effects. Cathartic, reputed abortive. Avoid use.

Interactions

None well documented.

Side Effects

There has been one report that using the gel as standard wound therapy delayed healing. The gel may cause burning sensations in dermabraded skin, and redness and itching also can occur. Use caution with cosmetic products containing A. vera gel.

Toxicities

The resin product is cathartic at doses of 250 mg and is not recommended for internal use.

References

1. Aloe. Review of Natural Products. factsandcomparisons4.0 [online]. 2004. Available from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. Accessed April 16, 2007.

Copyright © 2006 Wolters Kluwer Health

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