Aloe barbadensis Miller

21069009.90 for following categories

i) Aloe vera Gel
ii) Aloe Berry Nectar
iii) Aloe Bits n' Peaches, and
iv) Aloe Blossom Herbal Drink

This is probably one of the major medicinal plants cultivated in Costa Rica. However, most of the processing is done by Carrington in Dallas, Texas, and no information is available regarding production volume.

Cultivated. Some of it is organic.

Guanacaste, Parrita and some other low-land areas.

Both semi-processed and processed products are available. Carrington has a processing plant near Liberia, Guanacaste, where they produce a precipitate from ethanol and they freeze-dry it. This product is also transformed into other, more elaborate products.

An attempt to establish a set of rules for processing plant materials was made by the Ministry of Health. Lack of basic standards has made it impossible to enforce the regulations. A new attempt is being made to regulate the commercialization of plant extracts and derivatives.

The Ministry of Health, by way of the Direction for Registration and Controls has been in charge of these efforts (Web page: http://www.netsalud.sa.cr/ms/drc/index.htm)

Information can be had from

• Rosaura Romero 
  Center for Research on Natural Products (CIPRONA) 
  University of Costa Rica 2060 
  San José, Costa Rica 
  Tel: (506)2073001
  Fax: (506)2073076
  E-mail: rromero@cariari.ucr.ac.cr

Part of a multidisciplinary group engaged in micro-propagation studies to improve production and health of the plant.

Not necessary, as it is an introduced, cultivated plant.

• Rosaura Romero at CIPRONA can be contacted for information on a project regarding Aloe improvement by micropropagation.

• Carrington and Dr. Santiago Rodríguez  MBG Engineering 3701 
  Spring Meadow Lane Flower Mount TEXAS 75028 
  Fax. 001-972-7247887 
  E-mail: Santi_cr@yahoo.com

It is a wild perennial herb of great medicinal value. Internally used as a general tonic, cleanser, and detoxifier and externally applied on minor burns, sunburn, skin irritations, insect bites, minor cuts, scratches and wounds. It has been a favourite remedy for intestinal worms in children. Dissolved in spirit, it is used as a hair dye to stimulate hair growth. A sweet confection prepared from the pulp of the leaves is given in piles. Pulp mixed with honey and turmeric is recommended in coughs and cold. The juice of the leaves is useful in painful inflammations and chronic ulcers. Eczematous skin is quickly cicatrized and healed on application of small piece of leaf of aloe.

In Gujarat leaves and flowers stalks are pickled. The leaves yield fiber. A dye prepared from this species gives purple colour to silk, black to wool and pink to linen. Jafarabad aloe is used in lacquer work. The gel in a steam inhalantion is used for bronchial congestion.

Plant extract (100 mg/kg) inhibited ovulation in 80% rabbits. It also prevented implantation in 50 and 100% rats at the oral dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg. Polysaccharide inhibited opsonization of zymosan in human serum and displayed adjuvant activity on specific antibody production and induction of delayed type of hypersensitivity in mice. The supernatant of gel showed cytotoxicity against C3HIOT1/2 cells at initiation stage of transformation. The acemannon found in aloe seems to have remarkable anti viral properties. Acemannon neutralizes the HIV (the virus that often leads to Aids) by transforming its protein envelope thus preventing it from attaching itself to T4 cells, and re-enforces a body’s natural defense (immune) system, which stops the progression of HIV.

The cut leaves of aloe contain anthraquinone glycosides, which are collectively termed ‘aloin.’ Aloin consists of the pentosides barbaloin and isobarbaloin, resins, saponins, and other substances. Barbaloin, on hydrolysis, yields a mixture in which aloe emodin has been identified.

The plant contains aloesone (7-hydroxychromone, C13H12O4; mp 150 – 152 O) , aloesin (C-glucosyl -7-hydroxy chromone) and isoaloesin along with malic, citric and tartaric acid from leaves.

Aloe vera's mucilaginous pulp contains 93-96% water and rest as solids which contain active principals for its biological activity. The mucilage of the leaves contain glucose galactose mannose and galacturonic acid in addition to unidentified aldopentose, a protein (0.013%) with 18 amino acids and β-sitosterol. The complete list of Amino acids known to exist in Aloe include lysine, histidine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, threonine, serine, glutamine, hydroproline, proline, glycine, alanine, cystine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, glutamic acid, and phenylalanine.

Among its polysaccharides, glucose, mannose, traces of arabinose, galactose and xylose have been isolated. Anthraquinone glycosides, glycoproteins, mucopolysaccharides, gamma-linolenic acid, and prostaglandins are the active principles in aloe gel. Other constituents include vitamins B-1, B-2, B-6, C, E, folic acid, choline, and beta-carotene. Minerals found in aloe are calcium, sodium, manganese, magnesium, zinc, copper, and chromium. There are also triglycerides, cholesterol, steroids, uric acid, lignins and salicylic acid. The rind has a higher concentration of anthraquinones, including aloin, barbaloin, aloe-emodin, and emodin, which are responsible for the cathartic action.

Chemical markers: Aloesin, Isoaloesin, Aloin A and Aloin B are used as chemical markers for the standardization of Aloe vera products.

Two products in current use are derived from aloe leaves. The clear gel that forms naturally in the hollow interior of the leaf is the familiar product used to relieve burns and wounds, whereas specialized resin canal cells in the thick leaf epidermis produce a bitter yellow juice that is the source of the laxative drug aloe. Although they share certain components, these two products are distinctly different and should not be confused.

Cytological status: The diploid count in Aloe vera is 2n= 14. A triploid plant 2n= 21 has been reported from monozite region and Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin).

A study has been conducted to distinguish Aloe species by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. DNA was isolated from fresh and dried leaves of the 4 Aloe species. Five out of 32 different 10-mer primers examined were useful for analysis. By comparison of the characteristic bands of PCR products on agarose gel, it was possible to distinguish the different species (Shioda et al., 2003).

Except in the rare person who is allergic to aloe, topical application of the gel is harmless. Some reports indicate that aloes should not be used in the treatment of hermorrhoids.

Despite their widespread use in commercial preparations, drug aloe and aloin are considered the least desirable of plant laxatives for home health care. Besides being extremely bitter, they produce cramping and irritation in the digestive tract. Overdose or other misuse can cause abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, or even kidney disorders. Pregnant or nursing women should not take products containing drug aloe or aloin because they stimulate the uterus (which can bring on premature labor) and because they pass readily into the mother's milk, sometimes causing gastrointestinal distress in the nursing infant.

Toxicity: No significant toxicity was found with acemannan at 80 mg/kg iv or 200 mg/kg ip in mice, 15 mg/kg iv or 50 mg/kg ip in rats, and 10 mg/kg iv or 50 mg/kg ip in dogs. Increased macrophages and monocytes were observed. Some reports indicate that aloes should not be used during pregnancy. Aloes may have purgative affects; it is a common, but unsubstantiated belief that overdoses of strong purgatives will cause abortions, as they tend to cause everything in the body to be expelled.

Aloe vera gel were submitted to determine toxicity using the LSE™ method (The process for growing living skin in vitro called the Living Skin Equivalent™ (LSE) was developed by Organogenesis, Inc. (OI) and marketed under the name Testskin™ . This system was developed in order to conduct certain types of toxicity testing on compounds in vitro). The Aloe submitted was not only completely non-toxic to the LSE™, but was in fact found to stimulate basal keratinocyte (skin cell) growth almost fourfold.

• For constipation, a single 50-200 mg capsule of aloe latex can be taken daily for a maximum of ten days. Topically for minor burns, the stabilized aloe gel is applied to the affected area of skin 3-5 times per day. For internal use of aloe gel, the dose is 30 ml three times a day.
• Topical Aloe vera cream containing 0.5% aloe is applied 3 times a day.
• For the treatment of diabetes, a dosage of 1 tablespoon of Aloe vera juice twice daily is recommended.
• For reduction of blood sugar levels with regular use, there is a wide range of dosages for aloe taken internally. As little as ½ teaspoonfuls once or twice a day to a maximum of one quart or liter per day may be used.
• A dose of one teaspoon of Aloe juice twice daily is an Ayurvedic recommendation for a clear complexion.