Effects Of Low Molecular Constituents From Aloe Vera Gel On Oxidative Metabolism & Cytotoxic & Bactericidal Activities Of Human Neutrophils
t’ Hart LA; Nibbering PH; van den Barselaar MT; van DiJk H; van den Berg AJ; Labadie RP
Department Of Pharmacognosy, Faculty Of Pharmacy, University Of Utrecht
Int J Immunopharmacol Vol 12, ISS 4, 1990, P427-34

In traditional South-East Asian medicine the therapeutic value of the parenchymous leaf-gel of Aloe vera for inflammatory-based diseases is well-reputed. The aim of this study is to investigate at which level gel-constituents exert their activity. We show here that low –Mr constituents of an aqueous gel-extract inhibit the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by PMA-stimulated human PMN. The compounds inhibit the ROS-dependent extracellular effects of PMN such as lysis of red blood cells. The capacity of the PMN to phagocytose and kill micro-organisms at the intracellular level is not affected. The inhibitory activity of the low-Mr compounds is most pronounced in the PMA-induced ROS production, but is significantly antagonized by the Ca-ionophore A23187. It is shown that the inhibitory effect of the low-Mr compounds is the indirect result of the diminished availability of intracellular free Ca-ions.

Anti-Inflammatory & Wound Healing Properties Of Aloe Vera
Udupa SL; Udupa AL; Kulkarni DR
Dep. Biochem., Kasturba Med. Coll.
Fitoterapia 65 (2). 1994 141-145

The fresh juice of the indigenous drug A. vera (0.2 ml/100 g, i.p.) was studied for its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties in rats. Anti-inflammatory action was studied by observing percent reduction in carrageenin-induced paw oedema at 3 h. Wound healing effects were studied on incision (skin breaking strength), excision (percent wound contraction and epithelization time) and dead space (granuloma breaking strength and biochemical parameters) wound models. A. vera showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in acute inflammatory model without any significant effect on chronic inflammation. Significant increase in breaking strength (skin and granuloma tissue), enhanced wound contraction and decreased epithelization period were observed. An increase in lysyl oxidase activity and mucopolysaccharide content were also seen. This drug could therefore increase tensile strength by increasing cross-linking in collagen and interactions with the ground substance.

The External Use Of Aloes
Crewe JE
Minnesota Journal of Medicine October 1937. Vol. 20. pp. 538-539

In 1937 and again in 1938, Dr. J.E. Crewe reported (in the Minnesota Journal of Medicine) a broader spectrum application of Aloe vera in treating chronic ulcers, eczema, thermal burns, scalding, sunburn, pruritus vulvae, minor injuries, and certain allergies including poison ivy. As the Collinses before him, Crewe had also tried using both the fresh leaf gel and an ointment made from it. In almost all cases treated, Dr. Crewe was able to record healing that ranged from effective to remarkable. And in all instances mentioned healing was complete, and tissue regenerated without scarring.

Aloe Vera - Anti-Edemic & Analgesic Activity In Diabetes
Davis R

A 1988 study by the Davis, Leitner group established a criteria to test Aloe vera as an anti-edemic, analgesic and would healing agent against opportunistic infections in the presence of diabetes, and to prove that Aloe vera works effectively even in “an abnormal physiological state.”

In this study, mice were divided into five groups. One control group of non-diabetic mice, and one control and three test groups of mice subjected to a diabetes induction agent (streptozoticin in this case), and given time for the diabetes to set in place. After 48 hours lapsed time, wounds were induced on all groups. Afterward, the control group was administered no Aloe vera while the two test groups were administered decolorized Aloe vera in varying and incrementally higher dosages – 1 milligram per kilogram, 10 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg. Then the five groups were tested at intervals of four and seven days to determine what effect, if any, the introduction of Aloe vera had on pain, edema, and the treatment of wounds.

Not only did increased doses of Aloe vera help accelerate healing and aid in the rapid healing of the wounds. The percentage of wound reduction increased in direct proportion to the amount of Aloe vera administered during treatment. On day four, no significant difference in healing was noticed in the non-diabetic group and the control group of mice (about 18% versus 20%, allowing for a margin of error factor of 3). But by day 7, the wound healing in the normal group had incerased to 30 versus only 28% in the untreated diabetic mice.

Test groups given the dosages of Aloe vera showed increased wound healing abilities on both day 4 and day 7. By day 4, the Aloe test groups had shown wound healing ranging from 32% (for the 1 mg/kg group) to 43% for the 100 mg/kg group. On day seven the average level of healing had increased to 43% for the 1mg/kg group all the way to 56.6% for the 100 mg/kg group. That marked a jump of nearly 30 percentage points for the test group of diabetic mice treated with large doses of Aloe vera.

When the mice were tested for analgesic effects and blood edema tests, the Aloe vera test groups showed equally dramatic postive results in exhibiting lessened inflammation and improved pain response.

1989, In a follow-up study by Dr. Robert Davis and Nicholas P. March, Aloe vera was measured again for its anti-inflammatory activity in diabetes. This time, it was tested in combinatiaon with gibberellin. Gibberellin is a naturally occurring glycoside and growth hormone found in plants, including the complex chemistry of the Aloe plant.

Again the diabetes was adjuvant induced with the diabetic agent, streptozoticin, on adult male mice in control and test groups. In fact when tested individually and in context with the Aloe over the properly apportioned number of days, the gibberellin did show almost identical anti-inflammatory results. So the evidence, in this test, seemed to point to the fact that the glycoside, gibberellin, might indeed hold the key to the healing plant’s anti-inflammatory powers.