356
18.5.3 Anti-urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a serious medical condition capable of affecting any
part of the urinary system including the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
Bukhari et al. (2017), tested Aloe dera gel against some UTI causing microorganisms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli. The result
observed shows that Aloe vera gel exhibited antimicrobial activity against all the
selected uropathogens. The level of inhibition observed against the tested selected
uropathogens were E. coli (76.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (75%) and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa (40%). Their study shows that Aloe vera gel could be used for the management of UTI.
Begum et al. (2016) evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy of Aloe vera against
Streptococcus pneumonia, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Klebsiella pneumonia,
Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Escherichia coli. The level of antimicrobial activity was assessed using zones of
inhibition during antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The result obtained shows that
Aloe vera gel exhibited an inhibitory effect against all the tested isolates most especially the ethanolic extract.
18.5.4 Antioxidant Activity
Overproduction of free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) results in oxidative stress, which subsequently damages the DNA, protein and lipids of the body
resulting in the development of numerous diseases. Antioxidants are those substances which at low concentration inhibits the oxidizable substrate oxidation. In
vitro antioxidant potential was reported by the methanol extracts of leaf epidermis
and flower of A. vera (López et al. 2013). The radical scavenging activity of most
Aloe species is due to presence of chromone glycosides. 70% ethanol extracts of
A. vera flower inhibit the free radical induced DNA damage and linolenic acid oxidation. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the
11 phenolic constituents present in the extract; vanillic acid content was found to be
high in the extract which corresponds to high antioxidant activity. The extracts raise
the antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidise, superoxide dismutase and catalase) in the liver tissue of hydrogen peroxide-treated BALB/c mice. Presence of
total phenolic content in the extracts promotes radical-scavenging activities. Thus,
flowers of A. bardadensis are a valuable source of natural antioxidant (Debnath
et al. 2018).
Free radical scavenging activity of Aloe gel was showed on nitric oxide radicals,
2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,20-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline- 6sulfonic acid) (ABTS) + (Saini and Saini 2011). Antioxidant capacity of A. ferox
was determined using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) analyses and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Results showed that it prevents or alleviC. Egbuna et al.
18.5.3 Anti-urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a serious medical condition capable of affecting any
part of the urinary system including the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
Bukhari et al. (2017), tested Aloe dera gel against some UTI causing microorganisms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli. The result
observed shows that Aloe vera gel exhibited antimicrobial activity against all the
selected uropathogens. The level of inhibition observed against the tested selected
uropathogens were E. coli (76.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (75%) and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa (40%). Their study shows that Aloe vera gel could be used for the management of UTI.
Begum et al. (2016) evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy of Aloe vera against
Streptococcus pneumonia, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Klebsiella pneumonia,
Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Escherichia coli. The level of antimicrobial activity was assessed using zones of
inhibition during antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The result obtained shows that
Aloe vera gel exhibited an inhibitory effect against all the tested isolates most especially the ethanolic extract.
18.5.4 Antioxidant Activity
Overproduction of free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) results in oxidative stress, which subsequently damages the DNA, protein and lipids of the body
resulting in the development of numerous diseases. Antioxidants are those substances which at low concentration inhibits the oxidizable substrate oxidation. In
vitro antioxidant potential was reported by the methanol extracts of leaf epidermis
and flower of A. vera (López et al. 2013). The radical scavenging activity of most
Aloe species is due to presence of chromone glycosides. 70% ethanol extracts of
A. vera flower inhibit the free radical induced DNA damage and linolenic acid oxidation. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the
11 phenolic constituents present in the extract; vanillic acid content was found to be
high in the extract which corresponds to high antioxidant activity. The extracts raise
the antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidise, superoxide dismutase and catalase) in the liver tissue of hydrogen peroxide-treated BALB/c mice. Presence of
total phenolic content in the extracts promotes radical-scavenging activities. Thus,
flowers of A. bardadensis are a valuable source of natural antioxidant (Debnath
et al. 2018).
Free radical scavenging activity of Aloe gel was showed on nitric oxide radicals,
2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,20-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline- 6sulfonic acid) (ABTS) + (Saini and Saini 2011). Antioxidant capacity of A. ferox
was determined using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) analyses and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Results showed that it prevents or alleviC. Egbuna et al.