The Chemical Constituents, Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Oxidant, and Ethnomedicinal Properties of Aloe barbadensis

Aloe vera is a perennial, drought-resisting, succulent plant belonging to the Asphodelaceae family that has a long history of having many tremendous medicinal and anti-inflammatory as well as anti-bacterial properties. This chapter highlights the great potentials of the aloe vera species. Desk study and document analysis guided the systematic and extensive review of both published and unpublished resources on the Aloe vera Species. The chapter contends that horticulturists and plant scientists in the field of agriculture and medicine must pay attention to the Aloe vera as a medicinal plant that possesses the most powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which protects the body against constipation through enhancing the body metabolism, skin, and worm infestations.

Preliminary Phytochemical Analysis: In-Vitro Comparative Evaluation of Anti-arthritic and Anti-inflammatory Potential of Some Traditionally Used Medicinal Plants

Background: Colchicum autumnale, Strychnous nux-vomica and Aloe barbadensis are the medicinal plants clinically utilized for the management of rhuematic disorders. Purpose: The present work was focused to evaluate the in-vitro anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory activities of Colchicum ( Colchicum autumnale), Nux-vomica ( Strychnous nux-vomica), and Aloe-vera ( Aloe barbadensis). Research Design: Primarily, the aqueous-ethanolic extracts of these medicinal plants were phytochemically screened followed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis. Anti-arthritic activity by protein denaturation method and anti-inflammatory activity by human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization method at the concentration of 125, 250, and 500 µg/mL along with standard were performed. Results: Phytochemical screening revealed that alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, phenols, and anthraquinones were found in all the extracts, and organic acids, amine group, aromatic or aliphatic compounds, esters and halogens, and phenolics were identified by FTIR. Protein denaturation method revealed that colchicum, nux-vomica, and aloe-vera showed maximum 98.5%, 99.6%, and 72.3% of inhibition at 500 µg/mL compared with that of standard drug, that is, Diclofenac sodium. Membrane stabilization method showed that colchicum, nux-vomica, and aloe-vera showed maximum 40.20%, 35.67%, and 40.1% protection at 500 µg/mL when compared with standard drug. Conclusion: It is concluded from the current study that extracts of colchicum, nux-vomica, and aloe-vera showed more potent effect and thus can be used as alternative options for the management of inflammatory and arthritic ailments.

An assessment of cytotoxic potentiality of Aloe barbadensis on the root meristem cells of Trigonella foenum-graecum L.

The leaves of Aloe barbadensis are used in traditional and modern systems of medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic potentialities of aqueous solution of Aloe barbadensis leaves on Trigonella foenum-graecum root tip meristem cells using a cytogenetic approach. Treatments with various concentrations of Aloe barbadensis leaf extract to Trigonella foenum-graecum root meristem cells showed mito-inhibition and induced several chromosomal aberrations as chromsomal breakage, fragmentation, scattering, stickiness etc.

Antibacterial kinetics and phylogenetic analysis of Aloe vera plants

Uncontrolled use of antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of resistant bacteria. It has necessitated the evaluation of antibacterial activities and phylo-diversity of Aloe vera (also called Aloe barbadensis) plants as antimicrobial agent in Nigeria. Biotyped enteric bacilli of 251 strains obtained from fecal samples of patients with various gastro-intestinal complications are profiled for antibiogram. Resistant biotypes were assayed for susceptibility to Aloe vera latex and further evaluated for time-kill kinetics and phylo-diversity. More than 30% of enteric bacilli, including Citrobacter freundii, Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis were resistant to cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline respectively at MIC >16 µg/ml (p=0.004). Aloe vera latex significantly inhibited 39.5% resistant enteric biotypes with a significant average reduction of the viable count at 1xMIC and 2xMIC to less than 3.0 Log10CFU/mL after 24 hours. Flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and anthraquinine in anti-enteric sap significantly correlated and regressed with antibacterial activity (p<0.05), while two of the antimicrobial Aloe vera plants showed phylogenetic relatedness with other homologous. Anti-bacteria efficacy of some Nigerian Aloe vera latex could provide alternative therapy, while its phylo-diversity and genomic profiling would offer a promising avenue for identification and development of antimicrobial agents as drug candidates for natural antibiotics.