Aloe Verais Aspeciesofsucculent Plant

Aloe verais aspeciesofsucculent plant.

Succulent plants:

succulent plants, also known assucculentsor sometimesfat plants, areplantshaving some parts that are more than normally thickened and fleshy, usually to retain water inaridclimates orsoilconditions. Succulent plants may store water in various structures, such asleavesandstems.

Description

Aloe verais a stemless or very short-stemmedsucculentplant growing to 60–100cm (24–39in) tall, spreading byoffsets. The leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-green.The margin of the leaf isserratedand has small white teeth.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_vera

The flowers are produced in summer on a spike up to 90cm (35in) tall, each flower being pendulous, with a yellow tubularcorolla2–3cm (0.8–1.2in) long.Like otherAloespecies,Aloe veraformsarbuscular mycorrhiza, asymbiosisthat allows the plant better access to mineral nutrients in soil

Techniques based onDNAcomparison suggest thatAloe verais relatively closely related toAloe perryi, a species that is endemic to Yemen.[20]Similar techniques, usingchloroplastDNA sequence comparison andISSRprofiling have also suggested thatAloe verais closely related toAloe forbesii,Aloe inermis,Aloe scobinifolia,Aloe sinkatana, andAloe striata.[21]With the exception of the South African speciesA. striata, theseAloespecies are native toSocotra(Yemen), Somalia, and Sudan.[21]The lack of obvious natural populations of the species have led some authors to suggest thatAloe veramay be ofhybridorigin

Uses

Scientific evidence for the cosmetic and therapeutic effectiveness of aloe vera is limited and when present is frequently contradictory.

Despite this, the cosmetic and alternative medicine industries regularly make claims regarding the soothing, moisturizing, and healing properties of aloe vera.

Aloe vera gel is used as an ingredient in commercially available lotions, yogurt, beverages, and some desserts,although at certain doses, it has toxic properties when used either for ingested or topical applications

Dietary supplement

Aloin, a compound found in the exudate of someAloespecies, was the common ingredient inover-the-counter(OTC) laxative products in the United States prior to 2003, when theFood and Drug Administrationruled that aloin was aclass III ingredient, thereby banning its use.

Although toxicity may be less when aloin is removed by processing, aloe vera that contains aloin in excess amounts may induce side-effects.

A 2-year National Toxicology Program (NTP) study on oral consumption of non-decolorized whole leaf extract ofAloe verafound evidence of carcinogenic activity in male and female rats. The NTP says more information is needed to determine the potential risks to humans.[45][46][47]

Aloe verajuice is marketed to support the health of the digestive system, but there is neither scientific evidence nor regulatory approval to support this claim.The extracts and quantities typically used for such purposes appear to be dose-dependent for toxic effects.

Phytochemicals

Aloe veraleaves containphytochemicalsunder study for possible bioactivity, such as acetylatedmannans,polymannans,anthraquinoneC-glycosides,anthrones,anthraquinones, such asemodin, and variouslectins.Some of these compounds are used to manufactureinsecticides.

Commodities

Aloe vera is now widely used on facial tissues, where it is promoted as a moisturiser and/or anti-irritant to reduce chafing of the nose of users suffering hay-fever or cold.

It is common practice for cosmetic companies to add sap or other derivatives fromAloe verato products such as makeup,tissues, moisturizers, soaps, sunscreens, incense, shaving cream, and shampoos.[39]Other uses for extracts of aloe vera include the dilution ofsemenfor the artificial fertilization of sheep,[53]use as fresh food preservative,[54]and use inwater conservationin small farms.[55]It has also been suggested that biofuels could be obtained fromAloe veraseeds.[56]Aloe is also used as a food substance. Somemolecular gastronomistshave begun to take advantage of its gelling properties. Perhaps the most notable among these is Chef Quique Dacosta's "Oysters Guggenheim," created at El Poblet in Spain.[57]

Research for possible medical uses

Wound and lesion treatment

Aloe vera may be effective in treatment of wounds.[5]Evidence on the effects of its sap on wound healing, however, is limited and contradictory.[5]Some studies, for example, show that aloe vera promotes the rates of healing,[58][59]while, in contrast, other studies show that wounds to which aloe vera gel was applied were significantly slower to heal than those treated with conventional medical preparations.[60][61]A 2007 review concluded that the cumulative evidence supports the use of aloe vera for the healing of first to second degree burns.[62]Topical application of aloe vera may also be effective forgenital herpesandpsoriasis.[63]However, it is not effective for the prevention of radiation-induced injuries.

Skin protection and cancer

Although anecdotally useful,Aloe verahas not been proven to offer protection for humans from sunburn, suntan, or other damage from the sun.[68]

However, the plant polysaccharides present inAloe vera, although offering no direct protection against sunburn, may offer skin protection by specifically targeting pathways activated by UV radiation that can lead to non-melanomaskin cancer.[69]UV radiation causes local depletion of antigen-presentingLangerhans cell(LCs), as well as systemic immunosuppression.

Dental care

In adouble-blindclinical trial, both the group using an aloe vera containingdentifriceand the group using a fluoridated dentifrice had a reduction of gingivitis and plaque, but no statistically significant difference was found between the two.

Diabetes and blood lipids

There is preliminary evidence thatAloe veraextracts may be useful in the treatment ofdiabetesand elevated blood lipids in humans.[4]These positive effects are thought to be due to the presence of compounds such asmannans,anthraquinonesandlectins.[4][49][50]Internal intake of aloe vera has been linked in preliminary research with improved bloodglucoselevels indiabetics,[74][75]although it has been suggested by the NTP that aloe may lower blood glucose levels.[45]It has also been linked with lower bloodlipidsinhyperlipidaemicpatients,[76]but also with acute hepatitis (liver disease).[44]

Other

Preliminary studies have suggested oral aloe vera gel may reduce symptoms and inflammation in patients withulcerative colitis.[37]

Toxicity

Ingestion of Aloe vera is associated with diarrhea, electrolyte imbalance, kidney dysfunction, and conventional drug interactions; episodes of contact dermatitis, erythema, and phototoxicity have been reported from topical applications.[4]Diarrhea, caused by the laxative effect of oral aloe vera, can decrease the absorption of many drugs.