373
Reduction in food efficiency and body weight as well as increase in kidney
weight and testis weights was observed in a subchronic toxicity study of 88 Sprague
Dawley rats when they were fed with Aloe whole leaf powder at doses of 2, 4, and
8 g/kg body weight (2.5%, 5%, and 10% Aloe in diet) for 90 days. Additionally, the
introduction of pigmentation in renal tubular, increase in mesenteric lymph nodes,
and lamina propria of the colonic mucosa were also observed compared to the controls (Zhou et al. 2003).
Examination was done on the growth, metabolic reactions and dietary intake of
rats after ingestion of crude and decolorized Aloe gel for 1.5 and 5.5 month studies
(Herlihy et al. 1998a, b) Marked changes in serum parathyroid hormone and calcitonin concentrations were observed, concluding that Aloe gel may alter calcium
metabolism (Herlihy et al. 1998b).
18.7.1 Reproductive Toxicity
It was observed after a chronic oral ingestion of 100 mg/kg Aloe vera extract per
day, for a period of 3 months have led to various reproductive losses (Shah et al.
1989). This was resulted into significant sperm losses, hematological damages,
inflammation, and increased mortality in the study animals.
Similarly in a study by Nath et al. (1992), pregnant rats were given a dose with
aqueous or 90% ethanol extract preparations of the plant orally for 10 days. The
abortifacient activity of the plant was found to be at a high percentage in the studied
animal in comparison to the controls.
It was advised not to take Aloe latex for pregnant women because of its cathartic
effect, which may be a cause of severe uterine contractions and in turn increase the
risk of miscarriage. Nursing mothers should also not ingest it because of the probability of inducing severe cramps and diarrhoea in the infant (Brinker 1998).
18.7.2 Genotoxicity
In a study genotoxicity of Aloe spp. whole extract-and decolorized extract were
evaluated using the mouse lymphoma assay (MLA) (Guo et al. 2014). The results
indicate deletions and/or mitotic recombination type of chromosomal mutations
from both the treatments.
The genotoxicity of three components present in A. vera latex ie. emodin, danthron, and aloe-emodin was checked using the MLA, micronucleus test, and the
Comet assay (Muller et al. 1996) all three compounds have shown increases in
micronuclei and moderate increases in mutant frequency in L5178Ycells, at micromolar concentrations. Emodin also found to cause DNA damage in human lung
carcinoma cells through the production of ROS, (Lee et al. 2006) induction of
micronuclei in TK6 human lymphoblastoid cells, (Nesslany et al. 2009) and increase
18 Aloe Species as Valuable Sources of Functional Bioactives
Reduction in food efficiency and body weight as well as increase in kidney
weight and testis weights was observed in a subchronic toxicity study of 88 Sprague
Dawley rats when they were fed with Aloe whole leaf powder at doses of 2, 4, and
8 g/kg body weight (2.5%, 5%, and 10% Aloe in diet) for 90 days. Additionally, the
introduction of pigmentation in renal tubular, increase in mesenteric lymph nodes,
and lamina propria of the colonic mucosa were also observed compared to the controls (Zhou et al. 2003).
Examination was done on the growth, metabolic reactions and dietary intake of
rats after ingestion of crude and decolorized Aloe gel for 1.5 and 5.5 month studies
(Herlihy et al. 1998a, b) Marked changes in serum parathyroid hormone and calcitonin concentrations were observed, concluding that Aloe gel may alter calcium
metabolism (Herlihy et al. 1998b).
18.7.1 Reproductive Toxicity
It was observed after a chronic oral ingestion of 100 mg/kg Aloe vera extract per
day, for a period of 3 months have led to various reproductive losses (Shah et al.
1989). This was resulted into significant sperm losses, hematological damages,
inflammation, and increased mortality in the study animals.
Similarly in a study by Nath et al. (1992), pregnant rats were given a dose with
aqueous or 90% ethanol extract preparations of the plant orally for 10 days. The
abortifacient activity of the plant was found to be at a high percentage in the studied
animal in comparison to the controls.
It was advised not to take Aloe latex for pregnant women because of its cathartic
effect, which may be a cause of severe uterine contractions and in turn increase the
risk of miscarriage. Nursing mothers should also not ingest it because of the probability of inducing severe cramps and diarrhoea in the infant (Brinker 1998).
18.7.2 Genotoxicity
In a study genotoxicity of Aloe spp. whole extract-and decolorized extract were
evaluated using the mouse lymphoma assay (MLA) (Guo et al. 2014). The results
indicate deletions and/or mitotic recombination type of chromosomal mutations
from both the treatments.
The genotoxicity of three components present in A. vera latex ie. emodin, danthron, and aloe-emodin was checked using the MLA, micronucleus test, and the
Comet assay (Muller et al. 1996) all three compounds have shown increases in
micronuclei and moderate increases in mutant frequency in L5178Ycells, at micromolar concentrations. Emodin also found to cause DNA damage in human lung
carcinoma cells through the production of ROS, (Lee et al. 2006) induction of
micronuclei in TK6 human lymphoblastoid cells, (Nesslany et al. 2009) and increase
18 Aloe Species as Valuable Sources of Functional Bioactives