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EURASIAN EXPERIMENT JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(EEJPH) ISSN: 2992-4081
©EEJPH Publications Volume 4 Issue 1 2023
Page | 31
Medicinal Properties of Aloe Vera and their Functions

Ugwuowoh D. A. N.

Department of Pharmacy Kampala International University, Uganda

ABSTRACT
Aloe vera is a plant species of the genus Aloe that is cultivated globally for agricultural and medicinal uses. The
species is also used for decorative purposes and grows successfully indoors as a potted plant. It is found
in many consumer products including beverages, skin lotion, cosmetics, or ointments for minor burns
and sunburns. The medicinal claims made about Aloe vera, as with many herbs and plants, are endless.
One of such is that Aloe vera may be used on skin conditions or superficial cuts for its antimicrobial and
antioxidant properties. Similarly, studies have revealed that Aloe vera in tooth gels is as effective as toothpaste
in fighting cavities. The antifungal activity of aloe vera has not received enough attention, although its
inhibitory activity against Candida 35 has been reported. For its antifungal properties however, Aloe vera is
used as a fish tank water conditioner. This paper therefore evaluated the various medicinal properties of Aloe
vera and their benefits.
Keywords: Aloe vera, Medicinal properties, Antifungal, Antimicrobial, Uses.

INTRODUCTION
Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian
Peninsula but grows wild in tropical climates around the world and is cultivated for agricultural and
medicinal uses. The species is also used for decorative purposes and grows successfully indoors as a potted
plant. It is found in many consumer products including beverages, skin lotion, cosmetics, or ointments for
minor burns and sunburns. There is little clinical evidence for the effectiveness or safety of Aloe vera extract
as a cosmetic or medicine. Aloe vera is a stem-less or very short-stemmed plant growing to 60-100cm (24-39in) tall,
spreading by offsets. The leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with some varieties showing white flecks
on their upper and lower stem surfaces. The margin of the leaf is serrated and has small white teeth. [1]. The
flowers are produced in summer on a spike up to 90cm (35in) tall, each flower being pendulous, with a
yellow tubular corolla 2–3cm (0.8–1.2in) long. Like other Aloe species, Aloe vera forms arbuscular mycorrhiza,
a symbiosis that allows the plant better access to mineral nutrients in soil. Aloe vera leaves contain
phytochemicals under study for possible bioactivity, such as acetylated mannans, polymannans, anthraquinone
C-glycosides, anthrones, and other anthraquinones, such as emodin and various lectins. Aloe vera has been widely
grown as an ornamental plant. The species is popular with modern gardeners as a putatively medicinal plant and for
its interesting flowers, form, and succulence [2]. This succulence enables the species to survive in areas of
low natural rainfall, making it ideal for rockeries and other low water-use gardens. The species is hardy in zones 8-
11, and is intolerant of heavy frost and snow. There is large-scale agricultural production of Aloe vera in Australia,
Bangladesh, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, China, Mexico, India, Jamaica, Spain, where it grows even well inland,
Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, along with the USA to supply the cosmetics industry.
Benefits of Aloe Vera
The medicinal claims made about Aloe vera, as with many herbs and plants, are endless. Some re-backed by
rigorous scientific studies while others are not.

© Ugwuowoh, 2023
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
https://www.eejournals.org/ Open Access
Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Aloe Vera
Aloe vera may be used on skin conditions or superficial cuts for its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
The team set out to determine whether the methanol extract of leaf skins and flowers of Aloe vera might
have beneficial effects on human health. The scientists focused on the extract's possible antioxidant and
antimycoplasmic activities [3]. Mycoplasma is a type of bacteria that lack a cell wall; they are unaffected
by many common antibiotics. Antimycoplasmic substances destroy these bacteria. They reported that both Aloe
vera flower and leaf extracts had antioxidant properties, especially the leaf skin extract. The leaf skin extract Page | 32
also exhibited antimycoplasmic properties. The authors concluded that Aloe vera extracts from leaf skin and
flowers can be considered as good natural antioxidant sources."
Laxative Effects
Anthraquinones present in Aloe vera latex are a potent laxative, increasing intestinal peristalsis.
Teeth and Gums
A study published in General Dentistry reported that Aloe vera in tooth gels is as effective as toothpaste
in fighting cavities. The researchers compared the germ-fighting ability of an Aloe vera tooth gel with two
popular toothpastes. They found that the gel was just as good, and in some cases even better than the
commercial toothpastes at controlling cavity-causing oral bacteria. The authors explain that Aloe latex contains
anthraquinones, compounds that actively heal and reduce pain through natural anti-inflammatory effects. The
scientists warned that not all gels they analyzed contained the proper form of Aloe vera- they must contain
the stabilized gel that exists in the center of the plant to be effective.
Constipation
Germany's regulatory agency for herbs-Commission E -approved the use of Aloe vera for the treatment of
constipation. Dosages of 50-200 milligrams of Aloe latex are commonly taken in liquid or capsule form once
daily for up to 10 days. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled in 2002 that there is not enough data
on the safety and efficacy of Aloe products; so, in the U.S., they cannot be sold to treat constipation [2, 3].
Diabetes-induced Foot Ulcers
[4], A study carried out at the Sinhgad College of Pharmacy, India, and published in the International
Wound Journal looked at Aloe's ability to treat ulcers. They reported that a "gel formed with carbopol 974p (1
percent) and Aloe vera promotes significant wound healing and closure in diabetic rats compared with the
commercial product and provides a promising product to be used in diabetes-induced foot ulcers.
Antifungal Activity
Antifungal activity has received less attention, although inhibitory activity against Candida 35 has been
reported. For its antifungal properties Aloe vera is used as a fish tank water conditioner.
Antiviral and Antitumor activity
These actions may be due to the indirect or direct effects: indirect through the stimulation of the immune
system and direct to anthraquinones 3. So, clinical trials are in progress to obtain conclusive evidence for the use
of Aloe vera in the treatment of HIV-AIDS or cancer.
Age-related Effects
Aloe vera was investigated on pathogen-free rats with some promising results on age-related diseases.
Protection from Skin Damage after Radiation Therapy
A study carried out at the University of Naples, Italy, tested five different topical creams to see how effective
they might be in protecting the skin of breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. One of these creams
contained Aloe. They divided 100 patients into five groups of 20; each was prescribed a different topical
treatment. They applied the creams twice daily, starting 15 days before radiation therapy treatment, and carried on
for 1 month afterward. During the 6-week period, the participants underwent weekly skin assessments. In the
journal Radiation Oncology, [5] the scientists reported that the preventive use of the topical hydrating creams
reduced the incidence of skin side effects in the women treated with radiation therapy for breast cancer, none
performed significantly better. All moisturizing creams used in this study were equally valid in the treatment of skin
damage induced by radiotherapy [6].
Cosmetic Uses
Generally, Aloe vera has many uses both for humans and animals. Three distinct preparations of the plant are
used: Aloe vera latex, Aloe vera gel and Aloe vera whole leaf extract, whose biological ingredients may act
alone or in synergy [7]. It is well known that Aloe gel enables the plant to hold moisture for extremely
long periods of time and has soothing effects as well. Aloe vera has found an extensive application in the
cosmetic and toiletry industries, such as moisturizers, cleansers, sun lotions, toothpastes, mouthwashes,
shaving creams, deodorants and shampoos.
© Ugwuowoh, 2023
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
https://www.eejournals.org/ Open Access
Food Uses
The food and beverage market is a promising arena for Aloe vera. It has been used as a resource of functional food
such as yogurt or for the preparation of health drinks, including tea. It is well known, that botanical products are
widely used as nutritional supplement for promotion of health or prevention of diseases [5].
CONCLUSION
Aloe vera is a plant species of the genus Aloe that is cultivated globally for agricultural and medicinal uses. The
species is also used for decorative purposes and grows successfully indoors as a potted plant. It is found in Page | 33
many consumer products including beverages, skin lotion, cosmetics, or ointments for minor burns and
sunburns. The medicinal claims made about Aloe vera, as with many herbs and plants, are endless. One of
such is that Aloe vera may be used on skin conditions or superficial cuts for its antimicrobial and antioxidant
properties. Similarly, studies have revealed that Aloe vera in tooth gels is as effective as toothpaste in fighting
cavities. The antifungal activity of aloe vera has not received enough attention, although its inhibitory activity
against Candida 35 has been reported. For its antifungal properties however, Aloe vera is used as a fish tank water
conditioner. There is need for extensive research on this plant in order to ensure that adequate utilization of its
medicinal properties especially in pharmaceutical industries.
REFERENCES
1. Davendra, R. and Satish, S.C.R. (2005). Efficacy and Safety of Traditional MedicalTherapies for
Chronic Constipation. The American Journal of Gastroenterology,100:936-971.
2. Farooqi, A.A. and Sreeramu, B.S. (2001). Cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops. Orient
Longman, India. ISBN 8173712514. p. 25.
3. Hu, Y., Xu, J. and Hu, Q. (2003). Evaluation of antioxidant potential of Aloe vera
4. (Aloe barbadensis Miller) extracts. J. Agric. Food Chem. 51:7788-7791.
5. Mwale, M., Bhebhe, E., Chimonyo, M. and Halimani, T.E. (2005). Use of herbal plants in poultry
health management in the mushagashe small-scale commercial farming area in Zimbabwe. Intern. J. Appl.
Res.Vet. Med. 3:163-170.
6. Serrano, M., Valverde, J.M., Guillen, F., Castillo, S., Martinez-Romero, D., Valero D. (2006). Use of Aloe
vera gel coating preserves the functional properties of table grapes.Journal of Agriculture and
Food Chemistry. 54(11): 3882-3886.
7. Boudreau, M.D. and Beland, F.A. (2006). An evaluation of the biological and toxicological
properties of Aloe barbadensis (Miller), Aloe vera. J. Environ. Sci. Health. C Environ. Carcinog.
Ecotoxicol. Rev. 24(1):103-154.

© Ugwuowoh, 2023
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.