Aloe barbadensis : how a miraculous plant becomes reality
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Aloe barbadensis: how a miraculous plant becomes reality Nuria Chinchilla • Ceferino Carrera • Alexandra G. Dura´n • Mariola Macı´as • Ascensio´n Torres • Francisco A. Macı´as
Received: 1 July 2013 / Accepted: 28 August 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
Abstract Aloe barbadensis Miller is a plant that is native to North and East Africa and has accompanied man for over 5,000 years. The aloe vera plant has been endowed with digestive, dermatological, culinary and cosmetic virtues. On this basis, aloe provides a range of possibilities for fascinating studies from several points of view, including the analysis of chemical composition, the biochemistry involved in various activities and its application in pharmacology, as well as from horticultural and economic standpoints. The use of aloe vera as a medicinal plant is mentioned in numerous ancient texts such as the Bible. This multitude of medicinal uses has been described and discussed for centuries, thus transforming this miracle plant into reality. A summary of the historical uses, chemical composition and biological activities of this
N. Chinchilla C. Carrera A. G. Dura´n A. Torres F. A. Macı´as (&) Grupo de Alelopatı´a, Departamento de Quı´mica Orga´nica, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Biomole´culas (INBIO), Universidad de Ca´diz, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), C/Repu´blica Saharaui, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Ca´diz, Spain e-mail: [email protected] M. Macı´as Departamento de Biomedicina, Biotecnologı´a y Salud Pu´blica (Inmunologı´a) y Unidad de Investigacio´n del Hospital Universitario de Puerto Real, Servicio Central de Investigacio´n en Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Biomole´culas (INBIO), Edificio Andre´s Segovia, C/Dr. Maran˜o´n 3, 11002 Ca´diz, Ca´diz, Spain
species is presented in this review. The latest clinical studies involved in vivo and in vitro assays conducted with aloe vera gel or its metabolites and the results of these studies are reviewed. Keywords Aloe vera Phytochemistry Acemannan Bioactivity
Introduction The genus Aloe is a plant that has always been included in the Asfodelaceas and lily families. However, in view of their specific and individual characteristics, Aloe has been introduced into a new botanical family named Aloaceas. This family consists of more than 350 species of Aloes registered throughout the world, and new families are discovered each year: from the small Aloe rockery stemless, measuring a few centimeters, to the Aloe arborescent, which can measure several tens of meters (Bassetti and Sala 2001). However, not all of these species are medicinal. The best known Aloes are Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller), Aloe Socotra Island (Aloe soccotrina Garsault), Cape Aloe (Aloe ferox Miller), Aloe maculate Forssk (Aloe saponaria), Aloe chinensis Steud. ex Baker and Aloe arborescens Miller, all of which have steely barbed characteristics. The most commonly used examples in medicine are the species A.
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barbadensis Miller, from which aloe gel and
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