352
month of therapy, the side effects were reported to have diminished as well (CasleySmith et al. 1993).
18.3.6 Flavonoids
The studies on the presence of flavonoids had been seriously lacking as the focus
was mainly on the presence of anthraquinones, anthrones and coumarines in aloe
species. Out of three hundreds of the species flavonoids have been reported to occur
in only thirty one species of the genus exhibiting their rare occurance. The major
flavonoids found in these species are identified to include apigenin, naringenin,
dihydroisorhamnetin, and isovitexin. Flavonoids have a strong antioxidant potential
as they have been observed in inhibiting the lipid peroxidation in several trials. Due
to the antioxidant properties of flavonoids they have been reported to prevent coronary heart diseases (Martikainen et al. 2007).
18.3.7 Alkaloids
O, N-dimethyltryamine and N-methyltryamine have been reported as the most common alkaloids found in aloe species. Gama-coniceine has been reported to occur in
6 species including Aloe gillilandii while coniine is found to occur only in one aloe
species namely Aloe viguieri (Dagne et al. 2000). Alkaloids have been reported to
exhibit toxic properties and aloe’s toxicology may be attributed to their presence as
exudates of the plant have been reported to be used as arrow poisons. It has been
identified in a study that the alkaloids cause muscle paralysis. The mechanism
underlying is observed to be their ability to block the nicotinic receptors of the postsynaptic neurons (Reynolds 2005).
18.3.8 Sterols
A number of important sterols have been found in the leaves of the aloe species
including campesterol, cholesterol, lupeol, β-sitosterol and their glucosides (Dagne
et al. 2000). These sterols present in plants have been reported to exert healing properties thus justifying the uses of aloe for healing purposes. The sterols are identified
to increase production of the cells of endothelial walls of arteries as they increase
the production of proteins important in keeping the integrity of vessels intact (Moon
et al. 1999). The sterols found in the plant may also play a role attributing to the
plant’s anti-inflammatory properties as the sterols suppress the pain associated with
inflammation and may provide analgesic properties (Sahu et al. 2013).
C. Egbuna et al.
month of therapy, the side effects were reported to have diminished as well (CasleySmith et al. 1993).
18.3.6 Flavonoids
The studies on the presence of flavonoids had been seriously lacking as the focus
was mainly on the presence of anthraquinones, anthrones and coumarines in aloe
species. Out of three hundreds of the species flavonoids have been reported to occur
in only thirty one species of the genus exhibiting their rare occurance. The major
flavonoids found in these species are identified to include apigenin, naringenin,
dihydroisorhamnetin, and isovitexin. Flavonoids have a strong antioxidant potential
as they have been observed in inhibiting the lipid peroxidation in several trials. Due
to the antioxidant properties of flavonoids they have been reported to prevent coronary heart diseases (Martikainen et al. 2007).
18.3.7 Alkaloids
O, N-dimethyltryamine and N-methyltryamine have been reported as the most common alkaloids found in aloe species. Gama-coniceine has been reported to occur in
6 species including Aloe gillilandii while coniine is found to occur only in one aloe
species namely Aloe viguieri (Dagne et al. 2000). Alkaloids have been reported to
exhibit toxic properties and aloe’s toxicology may be attributed to their presence as
exudates of the plant have been reported to be used as arrow poisons. It has been
identified in a study that the alkaloids cause muscle paralysis. The mechanism
underlying is observed to be their ability to block the nicotinic receptors of the postsynaptic neurons (Reynolds 2005).
18.3.8 Sterols
A number of important sterols have been found in the leaves of the aloe species
including campesterol, cholesterol, lupeol, β-sitosterol and their glucosides (Dagne
et al. 2000). These sterols present in plants have been reported to exert healing properties thus justifying the uses of aloe for healing purposes. The sterols are identified
to increase production of the cells of endothelial walls of arteries as they increase
the production of proteins important in keeping the integrity of vessels intact (Moon
et al. 1999). The sterols found in the plant may also play a role attributing to the
plant’s anti-inflammatory properties as the sterols suppress the pain associated with
inflammation and may provide analgesic properties (Sahu et al. 2013).
C. Egbuna et al.