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Aloe, Aloe vera aka A. barbadensis Aloe ferox, A. perryi, A. barbadensis

This is a tender perennial makes a terrific houseplant, thriving in dim indoor light and with infrequent watering.

Uses include it is sometimes used to treat burns and wounds. It is also used to speed the healing of sunburns. It is the leaves that are used. It has thick succulent leaves to use. A stimulant laxative, thought it is no longer recommended for such use because other, more suitable products are available.

Reported side effects: can cause intestingal cramps, uterine contractions and watery diarrhea.

Meyer, Scott. 1990January. Garden apothecary. Organic Gardening pp. 50-53.

Excerpts regarding herbal remedies

ALOE (ALOE spp.) A popular plant of African origins, aloe has anesthetic, antibacterial and tissue-restorative properties. Aloe gel speeds the healing of burns (from fire, sun or radiation) and insect bites, and relieves itching and dandruff. some clinical evidence demonstrates aloe may be useful in treating skin cancer.

Aloe gel comes from a freshly cut leaf. just slice the leaf through the middle and spread the gel right onto the affected area. For more serious burns or sores, hold the cut leaf in place by wrapping the area with gauze. Since aloe cannot withstand temperatures below 41F, gardeners in northern regions must grow it in containers to be brought indoors during cold weather. Propagate it by planting the suckers, which grow around the base of the plant. You can remove the suckers when they are 1 to 2 inches long (or 6 to 8 inches for outdoor plants). aloe prefers full sun and well-drained soil.

REFERENCES

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Adams, S.P. ; Leitch, I.J. ; Bennett, M.D. ; Chase, M.W. ; Leitch, A.R. 2000Nov. Ribosomal DNA evolution and phylogeny in Aloe(Asphodelaceae). American journal of botany. 87(11):1578-1583.

Gutterman, Y. ; Chauser-Volfson, E. 2000April. Peripheral defence strategy: variation ofbarbaloin content in the succulent leaf parts of Aloe arborescensMiller (Liliaceae). Botanical journal of the Linnean Society. 132(4): 385-395.

Gutterman, Y. ; Chauser-Volfson, E. 2000November. The distribution of the phenolic metabolitesbarbaloin, aloeresin and aloenin as a peripheral defense strategy inthe succulent leaf parts of Aloe arborescens. Biochemical systematics and ecology. 28(9): 825-838.

Paez, A. ; Gebre, G.M. ; Gonzalez, M.E. ;Tschaplinski, T.J. 2000October. Growth, soluble carbohydrates, and aloinconcentration of Aloe vera plants exposed to three irradiance levels. Environmental and experimental botany. 44(2): 133-139.

Abstract: Research was conducted on Aloe vera, a traditionalmedicinal plant, to investigate the effects of light on growth, carbonallocation, and the concentrations of organic solutes, includingsoluble carbohydrates and aloin. The plants were vegetativelypropagated and grown under three irradiances: full sunlight, partial(30% full sunlight), and deep shade (10% full sunlight) for 12-18months. After 1 year of growth, five plants from each treatment wereharvested to determine total above- and below ground dry mass. Fourplants from the full sunlight and the partial shade treatments wereharvested after 18 months to assess the soluble carbohydrate, organicacid and aloin concentrations of the clear parenchyma gel and theyellow leaf exudate, separately. Plants grown under full sunlightproduced more numerous and larger axillary shoots, resulting in twicethe total dry mass than those grown under partial shade. The dry massof the plants grown under deep shade was 8.6% that of plants grownunder full sunlight. Partial shade increased the number and length ofleaves produced on the primary shoot, but leaf dry mass was stillreduced to 66% of that in full sunlight. In contrast, partial and deepshade reduced root dry mass to 28 and 13%, respectively, of that underfull sunlight, indicating that carbon allocation to roots wasrestricted under low light conditions. When plants were sampled 6months later, there were only minor treatment effects on theconcentration of soluble carbohydrates and aloin in the leaf exudateand gel. Soluble carbohydrate concentrations were greater in the gelthan in the exudate, with glucose the most abundant solublecarbohydrate. Aloin was present only in the leaf exudate and higherirradiance did not induce a higher concentration. Limitation in lightavailability primarily affected total dry mass production andallocation, without substantial effects on either primary or secondarycarbon metabolites.

Simal, S. ; Femenia, A. ; Llull, P. ; Rossello, C. 2000February. Dehydration of aloe vera: simulation of dryingcurves and evaluation of functional properties. Journal of food engineering. 43(2): 109-114.

Abstract: The effect of air-drying temperature (from 30degrees C to 80 degrees C) on dehydration curves and functionalproperties (water retention capacity, WRC; swelling, SW; fat adsorptioncapacity, FAC) of aloe vera cubes has been investigated. A diffusionalmodel taking into account sample shrinkage has been proposed and solvedby using a finite difference method. The effective diffusivitiesestimated with the proposed model varied with the air-dryingtemperature according to the Arrhenius law except for the experimentcarried out at 80 degrees C, where case-hardening took place.Simulation of aloe vera drying curves by using the model was accurate(percentage of explained variance (%var): 99.7+/-0.1%). Furthermore,drying kinetics of aloe vera cubes of different sizes to those used todevelop the model could be satisfactorily predicted (%var:99.5+/-0.2%). The three studied functional properties exhibited amaximum when drying temperature was 40 degrees C decreasing either athigher or lower temperatures.

Singh, R.P. ; Dhanalakshmi, S. ; Ramesha Rao, A. 2000June. Chemomodulatory action of Aloe vera on theprofiles of enzymes associated with carcinogen metabolism andantioxidant status regulation in mice. Phytomedicine : international journal ofphytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 7(3): 209-219.

Umano, K. ; Nakahara, K. ; Shoji, A. ; Shibamoto,T. 1999Sept. Aroma chemicals isolated and identified fromleaves of Aloe arborescens Mill. var. natalensis Berger. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. 47(9): 3702-3705.

Abstract: Extracts from leaves of aloe (Aloe arborescensMill. var. natalensis Berger) were obtained using two methods: steamdistillation under reduced pressure followed by dichloromethaneextraction (DRP) and simultaneous purging and extraction (SPE). A totalof 123 aroma chemicals were identified in the extracts obtained by bothmethods using gas chromatography and gas chromatography/massspectrometry. There were 42 alcohols, 23 terpenoids, 21 aldehydes, 9esters, 8 ketones, 6 acids, 5 phenols, and 9 miscellaneous compounds.The major aroma constituents of this extract by DRP were (Z)-3-hexenol(29.89%), (Z)-3-hexenal (18.86%), (E)-hexenal (7.31%),4-methyl-3-pentenol (5.66%), and butanol (4.29%). The major aromaconstituents of this extract by SPE were (E)-2-hexenal (45.46%),(Z)-3-hexenal (32.12%), hexanal (9.14%), (Z)-3-hexenol (1.60%), and3-pentanone (1.41%). Terpenoids were also found as one of the majorconstituents. The fresh green note of aloe leaves is due to thepresence of these C6 alcohols and aldehydes as well as terpenoids.

Van Heerden, F.R. ; Viljoen, A.M. ; Van Wyk, B.E. 2000September. 6'-O-coumaroylaloesin from Aloe castanea--ataxonomic marker for Aloe section Anguialoe. Phytochemistry. 55(2): 117-120.

Viljoen, A.M. ; Van Wyk, B.E. ; Newton, L.E. 2001January. The occurrence and taxonomic distribution of theanthrones aloin, aloinoside and microdontin in Aloe. Biochemical systematics and ecology. 29(1): 53-67.

Viljoen, A.M. ; Van Wyk, B.E. 2000December. The chemotaxonomic significance of the phenylpyrone aloenin in the genus Aloe. Biochemical systematics and ecology. 28(10): 1009-1017.

Winters, W.D., R. Benavides, and W.j. Clouse. 1981. Effects of aloe extracts on human normal and tumor cells in vitro. Economic Botany : 89.

Updated: Wednesday, December 5, 2007.