The leaf this week is thick and prickly. The genus Aloe is a monocot, in a plant superorder that includes grasses, lilies and palms. Adapted to arid environments, it shares similarities with cactiof the #eudicot superorder. Aloe, however, is genetically much closer to the monocot dragonsblood tree (Leaf 29 http://t.ly/xD_5) than to the eudicot prickly pear.
Thought to originate in Arabia, #Aloeverais now naturalised in all continents except Antarctica. Prized for the healingpowers of its sap. Aloe juice or extract is often used as a topical treatment for cuts and abrasions, burns, sunburn, insect bites, and rashes, etc.. It is reported to have been used cosmetically by Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra.
Aloe can be toxic when ingested, and possibly even carcinogenic. It has nevertheless been proposed for treating cancer and digestive disorders.
Like many medicinal plants, Aloe vera has antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and many other specific bioactivities. These are attributed to a large array of molecules that include mannans, anthraquinones and numerous other phytoactives. The mannans are interesting as they are likely to serve a prebiotic role, favouring certain microorganisms to change the microbiome of the skin (topical use) or digestive system (enteral use). Other photoactive will also affect the microbiome.
The presence in Aloe of the anthraquinone aloe-emodin is noteworthy. This is the same molecule that occurs in our Green Mountain Biotech Rhubarb extract, despite a huge phylogenetic divergence between the two plants (monocot vs. eudicot). This said, while the individual phytoactive components are important, the uniqueness of herbal medicines lies in the differing array of phytoactives each of them provides.
Further reading
Wikipedia 2022, “Aloe vera”, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aloe_vera&oldid=1098096695
Sánchez, M., González-Burgos, E., Iglesias, I., & Gómez-Serranillos, M. P. (2020). Pharmacological Update Properties of Aloe Vera and its Major Active Constituents. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland),25(6), 1324. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25061324
Surjushe, A., Vasani, R., & Saple, D.G. (2008). Aloe vera: a short review. Indian journal of dermatology, 53(4),163–166. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.44785
Guo, X., & Mei, N. (2016). Aloe vera: Are view of toxicity and adverse clinical effects. Journal of environmental science and health. Part C, Environmental carcinogenesis & ecotoxicology reviews, 34(2), 77–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10590501.2016.1166826
