339
“shining bitter substance”. In many cultures for long time its name is used as a remedy.
The well-investigated Aloe species includes Aloe vera, Aloe barbadensis, Aloe
arborescens and Aloe ferox. There is a cultivation of different evergreen species of
Aloe as ornamentals due to its spiny sharp-pointed sword-shaped leaves terminating
at the trunk and clusters of colourful red and yellow flowers. The plants of the genus
Aloe have been used worldwide for their medical and cosmetic benefits and their
effectiveness has been accepted internationally. Despite their common use, internationally scientific studies and experimental data on the pharmacological uses and
the toxicology of these Africa species is seriously lacking (Srikanth et al. 2014).
Aloe vera is considered as the most potent and popular plant of the genus (Eshun
and Qian 2004). Aloe vera has been used in folk medicine for over 2000 years, and
has remained an important component in the traditional medicine of many contemporary cultures, such as in China, India, West Indies and Japan (Foster et al. 2011).
Aloe vera has been used for many centuries for its curative and therapeutic properties. Aloe vera is a perennial succulent xerophyte, which develops water storage
tissue in the leaves to survive in dry areas of low or erratic rainfall. The aloe leaf can
be divided into two major parts, namely the outer green rind, including the vascular
bundles, and the inner colourless parenchyma containing the aloe gel. Main chemical constituents of Aloe vera include (Table 18.1): amino acids, anthraquinones,
enzymes, minerals, vitamins, lignins, monosaccharide, polysaccharides, salicylic
acid, saponins, and phytosterols (Surjushe et al. 2008).
Apart from Aloe vera, Aloe ferox also known as Cape aloe or bitter aloe is the
second most studied member and has been shown to exhibit wound healing, laxative
properties, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antimalarial
and anthelmintic activities (Chen et al. 2012). The plant is also used as an ornamental plant as it shows flowering of red, yellow, orange and a rare white color. The
plant is native to the Cape coastal region of South Africa and hence the name Cape
aloe. The botanical name ferox is attributed to the presence of thorns and sharp
spines of reddish color giving the plant its ferocious appearance (Chen et al. 2012).
Aloe vera exhibits many pharmacological activities due to the phytochemical
such antioxidant, antimicrobial, immune boosting, antitumor, hypolipidemic,
wound healing, and antidiabetic (Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel 2007).
It is also reported that Aloe vera helps in reducing serum cholesterol and triglycerides and increasing level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Many traditional
uses are also reported such as in burn injury, eczema, cosmetics, inflammation, and
fever, which continue to be studied, although further research still has to be done.
Thus, it is quite promising as a multipurpose medicinal agent so further experiments
are needed to elucidate and to find out the mechanism of the bioactive chemicals
using modern instruments, such as high-performance liquid chromatography, highperformance thin layer chromatography, and clinical trials has to be done to generate novel drugs. The US Food and Drug Administration have already approved the
developmental study of Aloe vera in the treatment of cancer and AIDS. In future,
controlled studies are required to prove the effectiveness of Aloe vera under various
conditions.
18 Aloe Species as Valuable Sources of Functional Bioactives
“shining bitter substance”. In many cultures for long time its name is used as a remedy.
The well-investigated Aloe species includes Aloe vera, Aloe barbadensis, Aloe
arborescens and Aloe ferox. There is a cultivation of different evergreen species of
Aloe as ornamentals due to its spiny sharp-pointed sword-shaped leaves terminating
at the trunk and clusters of colourful red and yellow flowers. The plants of the genus
Aloe have been used worldwide for their medical and cosmetic benefits and their
effectiveness has been accepted internationally. Despite their common use, internationally scientific studies and experimental data on the pharmacological uses and
the toxicology of these Africa species is seriously lacking (Srikanth et al. 2014).
Aloe vera is considered as the most potent and popular plant of the genus (Eshun
and Qian 2004). Aloe vera has been used in folk medicine for over 2000 years, and
has remained an important component in the traditional medicine of many contemporary cultures, such as in China, India, West Indies and Japan (Foster et al. 2011).
Aloe vera has been used for many centuries for its curative and therapeutic properties. Aloe vera is a perennial succulent xerophyte, which develops water storage
tissue in the leaves to survive in dry areas of low or erratic rainfall. The aloe leaf can
be divided into two major parts, namely the outer green rind, including the vascular
bundles, and the inner colourless parenchyma containing the aloe gel. Main chemical constituents of Aloe vera include (Table 18.1): amino acids, anthraquinones,
enzymes, minerals, vitamins, lignins, monosaccharide, polysaccharides, salicylic
acid, saponins, and phytosterols (Surjushe et al. 2008).
Apart from Aloe vera, Aloe ferox also known as Cape aloe or bitter aloe is the
second most studied member and has been shown to exhibit wound healing, laxative
properties, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antimalarial
and anthelmintic activities (Chen et al. 2012). The plant is also used as an ornamental plant as it shows flowering of red, yellow, orange and a rare white color. The
plant is native to the Cape coastal region of South Africa and hence the name Cape
aloe. The botanical name ferox is attributed to the presence of thorns and sharp
spines of reddish color giving the plant its ferocious appearance (Chen et al. 2012).
Aloe vera exhibits many pharmacological activities due to the phytochemical
such antioxidant, antimicrobial, immune boosting, antitumor, hypolipidemic,
wound healing, and antidiabetic (Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel 2007).
It is also reported that Aloe vera helps in reducing serum cholesterol and triglycerides and increasing level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Many traditional
uses are also reported such as in burn injury, eczema, cosmetics, inflammation, and
fever, which continue to be studied, although further research still has to be done.
Thus, it is quite promising as a multipurpose medicinal agent so further experiments
are needed to elucidate and to find out the mechanism of the bioactive chemicals
using modern instruments, such as high-performance liquid chromatography, highperformance thin layer chromatography, and clinical trials has to be done to generate novel drugs. The US Food and Drug Administration have already approved the
developmental study of Aloe vera in the treatment of cancer and AIDS. In future,
controlled studies are required to prove the effectiveness of Aloe vera under various
conditions.
18 Aloe Species as Valuable Sources of Functional Bioactives