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Aloe

  1. 1. Healing Properties
    1. 1.1. Anticancer
      1. 1.1.1. Chemoprotective
    2. 1.2. Antiglycation
    3. 1.3. Antiinflammatory
    4. 1.4. Antimicrobial
    5. 1.5. Antibacterial
    6. 1.6. Antiviral
    7. 1.7. Antioxidant
    8. 1.8. Hypoglycemic
    9. 1.9. Insulin Sensitizing
    10. 1.10. Immune System
    11. 1.11. Oral Health
    12. 1.12. Skin Health
      1. 1.12.1. Skin Hydration
      2. 1.12.2. Skin protection
      3. 1.12.3. Acne
    13. 1.13. Wound Healing
  2. 2. Disease / Symptom Treatment
    1. 2.1. Burn Treatment
    2. 2.2. Cancer
      1. 2.2.1. Breast Cancer
      2. 2.2.2. Colon Cancer
      3. 2.2.3. Lung Cancer
      4. 2.2.4. Skin Cancer
    3. 2.3. Diabetes
    4. 2.4. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
    5. 2.5. Viral Infections
    6. 2.6. HIV
    7. 2.7. Inflammation
    8. 2.8. Edema

Aloe is a succulent plant cultivated throughout the world.

Healing Properties

Anticancer

Numerous studies have shown that different components in Aloe vera leaves provide Anticancer efficacies by modulating the growth of various cancers.[1]

  • Aloe-emodin has been widely studied in various cancer cell lines, with regard to its cellular growth inhibition efficacy on a number of tumor cells, such as lung carcinoma.[1:1]
  • Aloe-emodin can inhibit the formation and growth of tumor blood vessels by blocking signal transducers and transcription activators, and exhibits anticancer activities, as promising candidates for cancer treatment.[1:2]
  • glycoproteins present in Aloe vera demonstrated Antitumor efficacies.[1:3]

Chemoprotective

Antiglycation

Alow arborescens extracts have demonstrated significant inhibition of glycation and free-radical persistence, without any cytotoxic activity.[2]

Antiinflammatory

Aloe vera has shown anti inflammation activity.

  • Aloe vera extracts exhibit Antiinflammatory effects by inhibiting prostaglandin E2 production from arachidonic acid both in vitro and in vivo.[1:4]
  • Aloe can reduce inflammatory response from arthritis by 48%.[1:5]
  • Studies on the Antiinflammatory substances present in Aloe vera extracts showed that lupeol was the most active Antiinflammatory steroid in aloe extract.[1:6]
  • The sterols present in Aloe Vera extracts are able to reduce edema inflammation by up to 37%.[1:7]

Antimicrobial

Multiple components found in the Aloe vera plant exhibit anti-microbial activities. Aloe vera has the ability to kill certain microorganisms and inhibit their growth. Aloe vera can inhibit the ability of microbes to synthesize proteins, thus impeding their growth. Aloe vera can also inhibit bacterial growth via the activation of phagocytic cells (i.e. stimulating the hosts’ own immune system cells).[1:8]

Antibacterial

The juice from the cold pressed leaves as well as the raw inner gel of Aloe leaves have demonstrated antibacterial effects against Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Helicobacter pylori (previously known as Campylobacter pylori).[3] [4] [1:9]

  • Aloe vera gel can aid in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection by modulating the drug resistant behavior of Helicobacter pylori towards anti-microbial agents.[1:10]

Antiviral

Aloe vera has been shown to have good anti-viral activities.[1:11]

  • Lectin isolated from Aloe vera leaf gel could interfere with viral protein synthesis and inhibit the proliferation of Cytomegalovirus.[1:12]
  • Aloe vera emodin can effectively reduce the Influenza virus via galectin-3 up-regulation.[1:13]
  • Aloe vera is also effective against infections of type I and type II Herpes simplex virus and it is capable of deactivating other viruses, including Varicella Zoster virus, Influenza virus, and Pseudo Rabies virus by partially disrupting the envelopes of those viruses.[1:14]

Antioxidant

Aloe vera contains many antioxidants, including α-tocopherol (vitamin E), carotenoids, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), flavonoids and tannins.[1:15]

  • Aloe vera exhibits anti-oxidation activities in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that Aloe vera could be beneficial in combating diseases related to oxidation stress in the body such as cancer, diabetes, as well as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.[1:16]
  • Polysaccharide-rich A. vera extracts may exhibit a radical scavenging potential.[5]

Hypoglycemic

Aloe Vera may help lower blood sugar.

Insulin Sensitizing

Acemannan, one of the active ingredients in Aloe vera gel, may reduce hepatic fat accumulation, enhancing insulin signaling in adipose tissue.[5:1]

Immune System

Aloe vera has demonstrated immunomodulatory activity. Aloe vera consumption improves the immune system by increasing 9the CD4 count which may be beneficial to HIV-infected patients.[1:17]

Oral Health

Aloe vera can also be used to eliminate cariogenic (causing tooth decay) bacteria in the mouth, such as Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis), Streptococcus salivarius (S. salivarius) and Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans).[4:1]

Skin Health

Aloe vera gel extracts can help prevent immune suppression caused by UV exposure and reduce the risk of skin cancer.[1:18]

Skin Hydration

Aloe mucopolysaccharides help to combine water with the skin, thus providing moisturizing effects.[1:19]

  • Aloe vera gel improves skin entropy, homogeneity and energy at 30 and 90 min after application and has a hydrating effect that is superior to deionized water.[1:20]

Skin protection

Aloe vera also exhibits skin protective properties, and it has been used as in this role throughout history since the ancient times.[1:21]

  • Aloe vera keeps the skin moist and thus it is widely used as a moisturizer for the treatment of dry skin.[1:22]
  • Aloe vera gel can improve skin integrity and reduce the appearance of fine lines and erythema (superficial reddening of the skin, usually in patches, as a result of injury or irritation causing dilatation of the blood capillaries).[1:23]

Acne

Aloe vera gel can be used as a curative for the treatment of pimples.[1:24]

Wound Healing

Acemannan helps accelerate wound healing and activate macrophages to stimulate the release of fibrotic cytokines.[1:25]

  • Aloe vera gel and Cape Aloe (Aloe ferox, commonly known as bitter aloe) extract help promote wound closure by enhancing the migration of keratinocytes during the healing process.[1:26]

Disease / Symptom Treatment

Burn Treatment

Cancer

Aloe vera treatment containing aloin and aloe-emodin can significantly reduce the proliferation of carcinoma cells.[1:27]

Breast Cancer

Aloe-emodin could suppress the transcription of estrogen receptor (ER) α protein and down regulate ERα levels, thus inhibiting breast cancer cell proliferation.[1:28]

Colon Cancer

Aloe-emodin caused cell apoptosis in human colon cancer cells by the activation of caspase-6 within cancer cells.[1:29]

Lung Cancer

Aloe-emodin shows cellular growth inhibition efficacy on a number of tumor cells, such as lung carcinoma.[1:30]

Skin Cancer

Extract of Aloe vera gel can prevent immune suppression caused by UV exposure and reduce the risk of skin cancer.[1:31]

Diabetes

Aloe vera helps increases insulin sensitivity and decreases blood glucose in diabetics.[5:2]

  • Acemannan is degraded by the intestinal microbiota to form oligosaccharides that inhibit intestinal glucose absorption, which has been associated to a significant reduction in blood glucose, blood pressure, and the improvement of the lipid profile in diabetic patients.[5:3]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Acemannan may reduce hepatic fat accumulation.[5:4]

Viral Infections

The anti-viral constituents from Aloe vera leaves could be developed to treat diseases caused by viral infections such as HIV and other viruses.[1:32]

HIV

Aloe vera consumption improves the immune system by increasing 9the CD4 count which may be beneficial to HIV-infected patients.[1:33]

Inflammation

Aloe vera extracts hold great potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Edema

The sterols present in Aloe Vera extracts are able to reduce edema inflammation by up to 37%.[1:34]

  1. Title: Biomedical Applications of Aloe vera
    Publication: Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
    Date: 12 Jul 2018
    Study Type: Review
    Author(s): Ruibing Wang, Ying Jin, Kit Leng Kuok, Yan Gao
    Institution(s): University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
    Copy: archive, archive-mirror ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Title: Antiglycation Activity and HT-29 Cellular Uptake of Aloe-Emodin, Aloin, and Aloe arborescens Leaf Extracts
    Publication: MDPI: Molecules
    Date: June 2019
    Study Type: Animal Study: In Vitro
    Author(s): Guglielmina Froldi, Federica Baronchelli, Elisa Marin, and Margherita Grison
    Institution(s): University of Padova, Italy
    Copy: archive, archive-mirror ↩︎

  3. Title: Is Incorporation of Aloe Vera Encapsulated By Chitosan Nano-Spheres To Compomer A Valid Antibacterial Approach? An In-Vitro Study
    Publication: IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences
    Date: June 2018
    Study Type: Human Study: In Vitro
    Author(s): Nouran Hussein, Rania Ahmed Salama, Abdelhady Amin
    Institution(s): Misr International University, Egypt
    Copy: archive, archive-mirror ↩︎

  4. Title: In Vitro Effect of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Aloe Vera and 0.2% Chlorhexidine Mouthwash on Streptococcus Sanguinis, Streptococcus Salivarius and Streptococcus Mutans
    Publication: Journal of Dental School Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
    Date: 2018-07-15
    Study Type: Human Study: In Vitro
    Author(s): Mohadese Shakerian ,Mohamad Mahdi Yaghooti Khorasani, Soheila Doostaki
    Institution(s): Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.; Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
    Copy: archive, archive-mirror ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. Title: Compositional and Structural Features of the Main Bioactive Polysaccharides Present in the Aloe vera Plant
    Publication: Oxford Academic: Journal of AOAC International
    Date: June 2018
    Study Type: Review
    Author(s): Minjares-Fuentes R, Femenia A, Comas-Serra F, Rodríguez-González VM
    Institution(s): Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Gómez Palacio, Durango, México; University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
    Copy: archive, archive-mirror ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎