338
agents for thousands of years and an impressive number of modern drugs have been
formulated out of it. Therapeutically, interesting and important drugs have been
developed from plant sources which are being used in traditional system of medicines. The use of plants as a therapeutic material due to their chemical substances of
medicinal value is very common all over the world from ancient period of time.
The Genus Aloe belongs to the family Xanthorrhoeaceae which is also previously known as Asphodelaceae, Aloaceae or Liliaceae (Chen et al. 2012). The genus
contains over 500 species of Aloe which vary greatly in their heights and sizes ranging from very small shrub-like plants to very large trees (Grace 2011). Out of these
500, about 160 are indigenous to South Africa and some species are found in Jordan,
Madagascar, Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean Islands contributing to regional
bio-cultural diversity (Cottam and Curtis 1956; Cock 2015). The genus is thought to
have originated from the highlands of Southeast Africa and almost 82% of the recognized species are found to be present in High Africa (Holland 1978). There is a
presence of rosette of leaves at the base except stem in many members of the genus
Aloe. Its name is derived from the Arabic word “Alloeh”, which basically means
M. Akram · R. Ansari · U. Laila
Department of Eastern Medicines, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
N. Sudharani
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, College of Horticulture,
Mudigere, Karnataka, India
C. O. Adetunji
Applied Microbiology, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of
Microbiology, Edo University Iyamho, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria
P. Singh
Centre of Food Technology, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
J. C. Ifemeje
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu
Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria
M. Deepak · A. Bhavana
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi,
Vignana Kendra (GKVK), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
A. M. P. Walag
Department of Science Education, University of Science and Technology of Southern
Philippines, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
J. B. Adetunji
Nutritional and toxicological Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry Sciences,
Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria
M. C. Olisah
Deparment of Medical Biochemistry, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University,
Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria
P. F. Onyekere
Department of Pharmacognosy & Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
C. Egbuna et al.
agents for thousands of years and an impressive number of modern drugs have been
formulated out of it. Therapeutically, interesting and important drugs have been
developed from plant sources which are being used in traditional system of medicines. The use of plants as a therapeutic material due to their chemical substances of
medicinal value is very common all over the world from ancient period of time.
The Genus Aloe belongs to the family Xanthorrhoeaceae which is also previously known as Asphodelaceae, Aloaceae or Liliaceae (Chen et al. 2012). The genus
contains over 500 species of Aloe which vary greatly in their heights and sizes ranging from very small shrub-like plants to very large trees (Grace 2011). Out of these
500, about 160 are indigenous to South Africa and some species are found in Jordan,
Madagascar, Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean Islands contributing to regional
bio-cultural diversity (Cottam and Curtis 1956; Cock 2015). The genus is thought to
have originated from the highlands of Southeast Africa and almost 82% of the recognized species are found to be present in High Africa (Holland 1978). There is a
presence of rosette of leaves at the base except stem in many members of the genus
Aloe. Its name is derived from the Arabic word “Alloeh”, which basically means
M. Akram · R. Ansari · U. Laila
Department of Eastern Medicines, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
N. Sudharani
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, College of Horticulture,
Mudigere, Karnataka, India
C. O. Adetunji
Applied Microbiology, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of
Microbiology, Edo University Iyamho, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria
P. Singh
Centre of Food Technology, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
J. C. Ifemeje
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu
Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria
M. Deepak · A. Bhavana
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi,
Vignana Kendra (GKVK), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
A. M. P. Walag
Department of Science Education, University of Science and Technology of Southern
Philippines, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
J. B. Adetunji
Nutritional and toxicological Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry Sciences,
Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria
M. C. Olisah
Deparment of Medical Biochemistry, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University,
Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria
P. F. Onyekere
Department of Pharmacognosy & Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
C. Egbuna et al.