Aloe Vera: Its Potential Use in Wound Healing & Disease
Control in Oral Conditions
Moore, Timothy E
Aloe vera has been shown to enhance defense mechanisms, and it has a variety of components to help combat periodontal disease and other oral conditions. As a periodontist utilizing Aloe vera in various consistencies for the last 14 years with over 6,000 documented patients who have been treated with applications, I’ve observed remarkable healing, reduced edema, and pain control. There are eight main uses of Aloe vera in dental practice:
Other oral disorders such as Candidiasis, Desquamative Gingivitis, Vesiculobullous diseases, acute monocytic leukemia, hematological disorders and nutritional problems all respond to Aloe vera use. Even diabetes mellitus, Sjorgen’s Syndrome, menopausal patients and medications which can cause Xerostomia or dry mouth. Interest is gathering momentum across our country as researchers are becoming interested in alternative therapy utilizing natural products versus synthetic agents. Aloe vera research is currently being undertaken at Oklahoma University, Baylor University, and Loma Linda. Lastly, it was a privilege to use Aloe vera on the bombing victims in the April 1995 disaster in Oklahoma City. The attendants, doctors and especially the injured learned that the healing capabilities of Aloe vera far exceeded their expectations in pain control and healing time reduction. Aloe vera has an unlimited future in new applications, and I sense in dentistry we are just on the cutting edge of promising utilization for anti-inflammatory procedure, antiviral, and immunological benefits for our patients.
A Bacteriological Study
Shupe-Ricksecker,
Kathleen
In 1994 a biologist and assistant professor at the University of Dallas, Dr. Shupe recently undertook a series of in vitro bacteriological examinations testing various percentages of Aloe vera solutions against tissue cultures of four common pathogens – Streptococcus pyogenes, Staph aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (pseudomonas) and Eschericha coli (more popularly known as E. coli). Strep pyogenes are particularly known to be present in cross-infections and side-infections from improper wound healing, as are pseudomonas. Pseudomonas aeruginosa are also present in a number of secondary urinary tract infections in men and is commonly found as a second microorganism present in prostatitis. E. coli is a potent bacteria common to the rectal cavity of every living mannal. Well behaved in that singular context, once it is released and exposed to outside air it can wreak absolute havoc especially when exposed to wounds, mucous membranes or adjacent to foodstuffs such as meat. Uncaught and untreated, E. coli can be one of the most dangerous bacteria known to medicine.
In her findings, Dr. Shupe noted that all these microorganisms were killed within twenty four hours of exposure to high levels of Aloe vera (85%). The Strep pyogenes and Staph aureus strains were virtually killed (99.5%) within the twenty four hour period. The more resistant strains, E. Coli and pseudomonas, were killed upon an increase of Aloe percentages to 90%, and at that there was a 90% bactericidal ratio in the same period of time.
Dr. Shupe studies the germicidal effects of Aloe vera on Proprionibacterium acnes (ATCC strain 6919). This is a causal agent in the formation of acne, often resulting from the introduction of a comedogenic agent such as an improper oil-base ingredient to the skin. In vitro testing with samples using various percentages of Aloe vera revealed that a 100% killing ratio against the bacteria could be achieved within that twenty four hour period.
Aloe Vera & Gibberellin, Anti-Inflammatory Activity In
Diabetes
Davis RH; Maro NP
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc
79(1):24-6 1989 Jan
Aloe vera inhibits inflammation and adjuvant-induced arthritis. The authors’ laboratory has shown that A. vera improves wound healing, which suggests that it does not act like an adrenal steroid. Diabetic animals were used in this study because of their poor wound healing and anti-inflammatory capabilities. The anti-inflammatory activity of A. vera and gibberellin was measured in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice by measuring the inhibition of polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration into a site of gelatin-induced inflammation over a dose range of 2 to 100 mg/kg. Both Aloe and gibberellin similarly inhibited inflammation in a dose-response manner. These data tend to suggest that gibberellin or a gibberellin-like substance is an active anti-inflammatory component in A. vera.
Isolation Of A Stimulatory System In Aloe
Extract
Dr. Davis
A set of experiments Dr. Davis and team members conducted involving the “Isolation of a Stimulatory System in Aloe Extract.” This study was done as a follow up on a previous clinical study in which a 50% ethanol extract was done to evaluate a croton oil-induced ear swelling assay. In this test, the Davis reserach team found that the “superanant fraction” decreased inflammation when applied topically by 29.2%, and the precipitate decerased inflammation by 12.1%. Even more significantly, the precipitate wound healing activity was increased by an average of 47.5. In the original study the superanant exhibited a 78% anti-inflammatory activity of Aloe vera, and promised to offer a low-cost, natural substance that could be used to manage imflammation and wounds in the lower extremeties.
In the new study, however, the Davis research team did not attempt to alter the original alcohol (or ethanol percentage). Instead, they ultracentrafuged the Aloe compound and then froze the two fractions to approximately – 80oC. Then they applied the superanant (freeze-dried) powder and the Aloe vera freeze dried powder to a test group and control group of white mice. The precipitate (combination of Aloe and ethanol) tested better for wound healing than the superanant and the Aloe each on their own. In fact the superanant showed no ability to heal wounds, the Aloe vera showed an ability of wound healing and anti-inflammatory capacities ranging from a 29.4% ratio, yet exhibited a higher anti-inflammatory activity ratio of 37.4 more than that of either the precipitate or the superanant, and the precipitate combination showed a range of 47.1 in wound healing yet a lower 12.1 anti-inflammatory activity. It was concluded in both these tests that: “Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory components such as amino acids, vitamin C, aspirin like compounds, and mannose which can normalize the acute vascular response. Aloe vera can block the polymorphonuclear leucocyte response, but does not reduce connective tissue formation.”
Part of the process of this particular Davis et al. study also entailed the attempt to isolate a polysaccharide component and glycoprotein (enzyme) constituent in the Aloe vera that might hold the key to all this effective activity. In this case the polysaccharide in question was mannose phosphate. In the singular context, it was determined that the mannose phosphate did serve as a binding agent to the same receptors that formed a positive growth medium for accelerated wound healing, as well as anti-inflammatory activity. However, the reserchers arrived at the conclusion that it would be an all but futile determination to credit any complex saccharide or single element for the total activity attributable to the Aloe vera complex itself.
