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From The May 2001 Issue of Nutrition Science News
By the Skin of Its Leaves
By Anthony Almada
One of the original health food store products is aloe (Aloe barbadensis, A. vera). The colorless gel and the cold-processed whole leaf extract from this plant are used around the world for a variety of skin conditions and diseases. Researchers are investigating aloe's effects on skin and on the immune system.1 Preliminary findings include:
A Japanese variety of A. barbadensis has been shown to curtail athlete's foot fungus growth in guinea pigs.2
Recent in vitro studies show aloe whole-leaf extracts contain an immune-boosting sugar called aloeride which is more potent than acemannan. This purported immune booster has shown no measurable activity in available studies.3
Aloe gel polysaccharides can be processed to produce another fraction that acts against UV light-induced immune suppression.4The processed gel also contains a variety of phenolic and enzymatic antioxidants.5,6
Together, these studies offer promise of a new generation of aloe extracts, standardized to new compounds, with applications for wound healing and stimulated immune function.
Anthony Almada is a nutritional and exercise biochemist and has collaborated on more than 50 university-based clinical trials. He is the co-founder of EAS and founder and chief scientific officer of IMAGINutrition.
References
1. Capasso F, et al. Aloe and its therapeutic use. Phytother Res 1998;12(SUPP1):S124-7.
2. Kawai K, et al. In vivo effects of Aloe arborescens Miller var. natalensis Berger (Kidachi aloe) on experimental tinea pedis in guinea-pig feet. Phytother Res 1998;12:178-82.
3. Pugh N, et al. Characterization of aloeride, a new high-molecular-weight polysaccharide from aloe vera with potent immunostimulatory activity. J Agric Food Chem 2000:ASAP Article (in press, 2001).
4. Qiu Z, et al. Modified Aloe barbadensis polysaccharide with immunoregulatory activity. Planta Med 2000;66(2):152-6.
5. Lee KY, et al. Isolation and identification of a phenolic antioxidant from Aloe barbadensis. Free Rad Biol Med 2000;28(2):261-5.
6. Esteban A, et al. Peroxidase activity in Aloe barbadensis commercial gel: probable role in skin protection. Planta Med 2000;66(8):724-7.
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