Aloe vera

AloeGeneral Introduction

By

S. Akila

AloeFamily: LiliaceaeEnglish Name Aloe, Barbados aloe,

Curacao aloeIndian aloe, jaffarbad aloe

Indian Name: Kumari Sanskrit Gheekanvar Hindi Lolesara Kannada Thazhai Tamil

Species and varieties

Aloe barbadensis Miller Aloe vera toun ex linn Aloe ferox Aloe perriyi Aloe africana Aloe spicata

Of the 275 species three are commercially important

Aloe barbadens is curacao aloe Indian aloe West Indies Jaffarabad aloe Barbados aloe

A ferox and it’s Cape aloe South AfricaHybrids

A perryi Socotrine aloe South Africa

Other aloe species yield aloes of lesser importance

This plant being native of AfricaThis plant being native of Africa

Which is grown in Greece Barbadense IslandsChinaItalyVeninsulaSouth AfricaIndiaPakisthanBangladesh

In IndiaIn India

it is grown in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamilnadu

• Cathartic anthro-glycosides as it’s active principles

• These are mostly c-glucosides of aloe emodin.

The concentration of this varies with the types of aloe from 4.5% to 25% of aloin

• Chromone ie aloesin and it’s aglycone aloesone

• Free anthroquinones

• Resins

• Gel contains a glucomannan a polysaccharide

• Other polysaccarides

(containing galactose,xylose and arabinose)

• Steroids

• Organic acids

• Enzymes

• Antibiotic principles

• Amino acids

• Biogenic stimulators

• Wound healing Harmones

• Saponins

• Minerals and so forth

Uses of aloe extracts• Aloe and aloin are extensively used in laxative

preparations.

• Aloe gel are used as moisturizer,emollient or wound healer in various cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations

• Extracts of aloe are used in sunscreen,X-ray burns,dermatitis and in other cosmetic preperations

• As a food aloe extracts are used as a flavouring ingrediants and in candy to impart a slight bitter taste

Familiar varieties in IndiaFamiliar varieties in IndiaIn India 2 or 3 varieties are recognized as well grown

• A.vera chinensis Baker

Common all over Deccan,The leaves have a distinct purple color towards the base and the spines are not sharp

• A.Vera littoralis Koenig ex Baker

Found on beach shingles in Madras right upto Rameshwaram are smaller in size and have a dentate margin

• A.variegata linn

A near kin of A.vera is found in the parts of Maharastra.It is large fleshy green leaves with sharp spins and white speck in the base of the leaf

• Aloe abyssinica

This thrives in Kathiawar coast

Familiar varieties in India

National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Delhi

Aloe accessions having high aloin content

• IC 111271

• IC 111280

• IC 111269

• IC 111273

• IC 111279

• IC 111267

National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Delhi

Aloe having high Aloe having high gel contentgel content

• IC 111267IC 111267

• IC 111266IC 111266

• IC111280IC111280

• IC 111272IC 111272

• IC 111277IC 111277

Cultivation Practices

Soil• This hardy plant grows in all

types of soils

• Does well in sandy coastal to loamy soils of the plains

• It requires PH upto 8.5

This doesnot grow under water logged conditions and problem soils


ClimateClimate

• Ideal time is March to June

• Found in warm Humid or dry climate

• It requires 150-200cm to about 35-40cm of yearly rainfall.

• In dry regions protective irrigation is essential


Land preparationLand preparation

• To be ploughed twice

• To be cleaned thoroughly of weeds

• If required small canals may be prepared for drainage

• 25t/ha of cowdung manure is also to be added


propagationpropagation• The plants are generally propogated by The plants are generally propogated by

root suckers (root suckers (Pups) or rhizome cuttings) or rhizome cuttings

plantingplanting• 1-2 months old pups are planted at a 1-2 months old pups are planted at a

spacing of 60 x 30 cms or 60 x 40 cmsspacing of 60 x 30 cms or 60 x 40 cms• Same sized say 15-18 cm long pups or Same sized say 15-18 cm long pups or

rhizome cuttings are to be plantedrhizome cuttings are to be planted• Planting is done in such a way that 2/3 Planting is done in such a way that 2/3

portion of them are under the groundportion of them are under the ground• Treat the pups with Carbendazim Treat the pups with Carbendazim

(1gm/1liter of water) to prevent rotting(1gm/1liter of water) to prevent rotting• 10000 pups/ ha is needed10000 pups/ ha is needed


ManuringManuring• An adhoc basic recommendation of a An adhoc basic recommendation of a

mixture of 150kg/ha N P K is advicedmixture of 150kg/ha N P K is adviced• The fertilizers are applied in the soil near The fertilizers are applied in the soil near

the root system after the plants are the root system after the plants are establishedestablished

irrigationirrigation• Soon after planting life irrigation• Generally 4 to 5 irrigations/yr are

sufficient• However water should not stagnate

near the plant


WeedingWeeding• Weeding may be done twice a

year• The land should be kept weed-

free

Pest & diseasesPest & diseases• No serious pest infestation• Leafspot by Alttarnaria alterata &

Fusarium solani infestation is noticed

• Water logging may cause rotting disease


CultivationCultivation

HarvestingHarvesting• Harvested at 8-12 monthsHarvested at 8-12 months• Manually/tractor drawn disc Manually/tractor drawn disc

harrow/cultivatorharrow/cultivator• The left out broken rhizome sprouts The left out broken rhizome sprouts

back succeedingly in the springback succeedingly in the spring

yieldyield

• Commercial yield from 2Commercial yield from 2ndnd year to 5 year to 5thth yr yr after that to be replantedafter that to be replanted

• 10000-12000kgs/ha (yd based on fresh 10000-12000kgs/ha (yd based on fresh wt)wt)


EconomicsEconomics

The prevailing market price for aloe vera leaves is around Rupees 4-4.5/ kg as of now (Fresh weight)

Hence a minimum of RS 50000 to RS 60000 may be got as profit per hectare.

The cost benefit may be 1:3 to 1:5 depending on the product whether raw,processed derivatives or value added product

1. Dried Aloe leaves or powders are often exported to the European countries.

2. The price of dried Aloes in India ranges from Rs.600 to RS.1000 per kg depending upon the `aloin' content and colour of the dried leaves.

3. Aloe gels are expensive herbal cosmetics.Owing to the increased preference to herbal cosmetics, the demand for Aloe vera is on the rise every year.

4. Selection of ‘aloin’ rich varieties and cultivation of aloe on commercial scale following scientific approach will be really remunerative.

5. It is definitely a crop highly suitable for growing in many parts of India.

The crop could be promoted for commercial cultivation in

marginal soils as well.Investment required Rs 25 lacs.

SINGLE STRENGTH JUICE

Micropulp 99.7% pure Aloe Vera with pulp

EQ CSE99.7% pure Aloe Vera super filtered and naturally preserved with CSE

Aloe Vera Crush

99.7% pure Aloe Vera chunks in pure juice

EQ 99.7% pure Aloe Vera super-filtered clear juice

Whole Leaf 99.7% pure double strength Aloe Vera juice available in both full fiber and super-filtered

LIQUID CONCENTRATES

40:1 Aloe Vera Concentrate > 20% Aloe Solids



5:1 Leaf Juice Concentrate > 2.5% Aloe Solids

POWDER CONCENTRATES

200:1 Freeze Dried 100% pure Aloe Vera actives



200:1 Spray Dried 100% pure Aloe Vera actives



16:1 Cosmetic Powder 8% pure Aloe Vera actives

COSMETIC PRODUCTS

Soothing Gel

Aloe Vera Antiseptic with Tea Tree oil

Aloe Vera Liniment with Tea Tree oil

Moisturisers

Shampoo & Conditioner

Body Soap

FOOD INGREDIENTS

Jelly Meat99.7% pure Aloe Vera bits in juice (non-filtered)

Current Market ScenarioCurrent Market Scenario

for Raw Material

The current global turnover of raw aloe leaves amounts up to US$ 70-90 million dollars, which is expected to grow at a rate of 35% in the next five years.

For Processed Derivatives

The current global trade is estimated at around US$ 1 billions and is steadily increasing.

For Value Added Products

The world market for aloe based finished products is stated as around US$ 25 billions.

USA supplies the major bulk of aloe in world market having a share of 60-65%,

whereas Latin American countries supplies 20-25% and

Australia, China and India combined has a market share of only 10%.

Keeping this high rising global demand and India's conducive geo-climatic conditions for cultivation of Aloe in view, cultivation of this herb must be promoted.This will fetch India good foreign reserves as well as domestic economic prosperity.

Present Global Players

Following is the list of principal illnesses and discomforts on which ALOE VERA may help to maintain health ( DRUGS)

indigestion constipation acidity intestinal inflammation gastric problems liver ailments arthritis muscular pain

diabetes

headaches poor blood circulation respiratory disorders asthma poor wound healing joint problems

psoriasis eczema minor cuts and burns acne & pimples infections & allergies mosquito bites

Biological Vehicle

Aloe Vera has great penetration power and acts from deep inside. It reaches the bottom most layer of the skin and increases blood flow to the skin and acts from deep inside.

Aloe Vera is able to move through the surface of the skin to the vascular dermal area. Not only that, it carries along with it other nutrients and medicines wherever required in the human body, while making them more effective. Aloe vera contains water soluble and insoluble compounds, which makes it a good carrier for all kinds of drugs-water-and lipid-soluble compounds

Immune System Booster

Aloe Vera boosts and stimulates immune system of the body.

Whenever there is an attack by any foreign body or infection, our body produces anti-bodies to defend them.

Aloe Vera makes these anti-bodies more effective and boosts up the resistance of the human body towards diseases and illness.

Immune System Booster

Detoxification

Aloe Vera has great penetration power and has saponins that help clean these toxins from the roots.

Toxins get accumulated in the intestinal tract, cells, blood etc., thereby leading to many diseases.

Cell Regeneration The human body continuously generates new cells while the dead cells are removed from the body. The cells make tissues, tissues make organs, organs make systems and systems make the body.

Poor cell regeneration results in the slow functioning of organs giving rise to many illnesses.

Aloe Vera catalyses the process of formation of new cells and tissues, thus enhancing the performance of the organs making the systems perform more effectively.

Wound Healing

Wound Healing

Aloe Vera is a natural substance that contains many biologically active molecules.

Aloe Vera acts by inhibiting pain and inflammation as well as by stimulating wound healing.

The sterols present in Aloe Vera contribute to the anti-inflammatory activity. The plant growth factors in Aloe Vera enhance the proliferation of cells as well as cellular migration, which helps in faster wound healing

Healing is also accelerated by transfer of water content from Aloe Vera to injured tissues. Aloe Vera acts as anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Its cell regeneration properties help in faster healing and preventing scars. Moreover, in adverse condition like diabetes, which hampers the natural healing mechanism of body, Aloe vera helps in healing the wounds faster.

Wound Healing

Anti Allergenic

Aloe Vera may prevent the release of histamine, the chemical in the body that produces the symptoms of allergies.

Aloe Vera stimulates the immune system to fight against allergies and builds resistance.

Anti Allergenic

Energizer & Nutritional

Aloe Vera boosts the metabolism of the body. Metabolism is the process of conversion of food into energy. Consumption of Aloe Vera stimulates the metabolic process hence one feels more fresh and energetic. Aloe Vera contains many vitamins, enzymes, polysaccharides, amino acids, hormones, etc and hence provides nutrition to the human body.

Energiser & Nutritional

Liver & Kidney Tonic

Poor liver function may be the cause of frequent bad breath, abdominal bloating, poor digestion, fatigue, headaches, unpleasant moods, coated tongue, sluggish metabolism, poor immune system and numerous other symptoms.

Aloe Vera corrects Liver dysfunction by improving metabolism, stimulating & modulating the immune system and detoxification.

Aloe Vera supplements the kidneys in its function to eliminate body wastes with increased hydration and cleansing properties

Digestion Improver

Aloe Vera helps to remove toxins from the body.

It also helps to maintain the balance of digestive juices in the entire digestive system, making the process of digestion defect free and more effective.

Thus, Aloe Vera helps to treat and prevent many digestive disorders like indigestion, constipation, acidity, gastric problems, ulcer, stomach and colon cancer etc.

Digestion Improver

Blood Pressure

Aloe Vera helps to maintain the normal blood pressure of the body in both high and low blood pressure patients

Menstural Problems

According to Ayurveda, Aloe Vera is one of the best treatments for menstrual disorders like irregular periods, pain during the periods and hormonal imbalance during menopause etc

Menstural Problems

Moisturiser & Cleanser

Aloe vera is a natural moisturiser and cleanser.

It retains the natural moisture of the skin and also helps to regain the lost moisture by hydrating the skin.

Penetration Power

Aloe Vera has great penetration power property owing to the lignin present in it.

Aloe Vera reaches to the bottom most layer of the skin, increases blood flow to the skin and acts from deep within, giving a healthy glow to the skin.

Penetration Power

AstringentAloe vera helps in cell regeneration, retaining the natural moisture and tightening of the skin, hence also acts as anti-wrinkle and skin toner.

All of these medicinal properties make Aloe Vera an ideal health supplement. Being a natural product Aloe Vera does not have any known adverse side effects besides it is also non-addictive. The beauty of Aloe Vera is that, all components work synergistically to give maximum benefits and enhance potency of any other medications.

Aloe Vera Juice

100% pure Aloe Vera available in natural and delightful mix-fruit and mango flavours

Aloe Vera is a treasure chest of beneficial ingredients, containing polysaccharides, glycosides, organic acids, plant hormones, plant sterols, amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals etc.

It is well known for its wide range of medicinal properties. Aloe Vera has a remarkable ability to normalise body's natural metabolism and has the effect of enhancing the immune system function through improved digestion.

Aloe Vera is a natural detoxifier, improves liver functions and also acts as a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Regular consumption of pure, natural and properly stabilised Aloe Vera Juice can help people receive more values from daily foods and medications.

Aloe Vera with goodness of Shankhpushpi (Convovulus Microphyllus) and Brahmi(Centella Asiatica) in delicious orange flavour

Chemical Evaluation of the Aloe leaves

1. 1 yr old whole leaf plant at flowering stage to be used for chemical assay

2. Make transverse incision on the leaves for it to ooze

3. Collect the oozing latex in a beaker

4. Filter it take a part of it say 1ml into an already weighted test tube.

5. Dry it at a high temperature and weigh

This gives the weight of 1ml of the exudates

• Another part of of the filtered exudates is transferred to a separating funnel (10 – 25 ml )

• This is repeatedly extracted with ethyl acetate (4 x 25 ml)

• The total ethyl acetate extract filtered and evaporated at reduced pressure and low temperature (<500C)

• This residue is redissolved in warm water (100 ml)

• And a small portion (1-2 ml) is taken for chemical assay

Isolation and quantitative estimation of aloe gel

• The portion of the leaves after the removal of the exudates are cut open

• Their mucilage is scrapped out with a blunt edged knife

• This mucilage is stirred vigorously in a blender to make a uniform solution

• This is strained through a muslin cloth & filtered

• A portion say 5ml is taken in a centrifuge tube of (50 ml capacity)

• The gel is precipitated from the extract by slowly adding acetone while stirring

Isolation and quantitative estimation of aloe gel

• Keep it over night• The gel is obtained by

centrifuging• This gel is re-dissolved in

slightly warm water and carefully transferred to an already weighed tube

• It is dried at high temperature and weighed

This gives the aloe gel content of a given volume

Aloe plant

• Aloe is coarse-looking, perennial, shallow-rooted plant with a short stem,30-60cms high

• The plant has multiple tuberous roots and many supporting roots penetrating into the soil.

• The plant generally grow close to the ground ina typical rosette shape.

• The fleshy leaves are densely crowded, strongly cuticularized and have a spiny margin with thin walled tubular cells

• The leaves are flat or slightly concave on the upper surface and strongly rounded on the lower sessile with a strong spine at the apex and smaller ones along the margins They bear spikes of yellow to red flowers

Aloe content and varieties• Curcacao aloe

yellow to reddish brown or chocolate brown and breaks with a dull waxy even fracture

• Cape aloe

Dark reddish brown or nearly black colored mass which has a clear glassy fracture.It has a distinct sour odor

• Socotrine aloe

Has a partly semi-liquid consistency, opaque with brownish yellow color when dried under heat turns a hard dark brown mass with a characteristic unpleasant odor and extremely bitter nauseating taste. This is entirely soluble in alcohol

• Zanzibar aloe

hard in liver brown color with a characteristic but not disagreeable odor and bitter taste

Aloe tested in Powder form

It is mounted under the microscope in lacto-phenol

• This lacto-phenol has an advantage over any other oil, liquid paraffin or glycerin

• It brings about a gradual solution of particles and the crystals becomes rapidly and clearly evident

Aloe tested in Powder form

• When mounted under the microscope in lacto-phenol

Cape aloe is transparent brown irregular angular fragments

Curcacao aloe shows fragments composed of inumerable minute slender prisms or needles

Socotrine aloe has fragments of fairly large prisms grouped irregularly into mass

Zanzibar aloe has irregular lumps with embedded nodular mass

Chemical tests for identification of different aloe varieties

• Bromine test

• Borax test

• Modified test for anthrocine derivatives

• Cupraloin test by Iso-barboloin

• Nitric acid tests

Curcacao aloeInsoluble and shines brightly against dark fieldIt is crystalline

Capedissolves and invisible in polarized light against dark fieldIt is amorphousThe amorphous aloe has 1/3rd the cathartic potency of crystalline aloe

Microscopic mounting under cresol using polarized light

Processing Aloe Leaves

During the past several decades four basic methods of processing Aloe Vera leaves have been developed, namely:

1. Traditional Hand Filleted Aloe

2. Whole Leaf Aloe

3. Powdered forms of Aloe

A. Spray-Dried Aloe PowderB. Lyophilized Aloe PowderC. Dehydrated Aloe Powder

4. Total Process Aloe Vera

Traditional Hand Filleted Aloe Vera

The Aloe Leaf consists of three layers:A. The outer thick rind

B. A viscous, jelly like mucilage layer into which the vascular bundles, attached to the inner surface of the rind, protrude.

C. The fillet proper, which has structural integrity consisting of hexagonal, structures containing the fillet fluid. This is the water storage area for the plant.

The pericyclic cells located at the top of the vascular bundles contain a yellow liquid called ‘the yellow sap’ or ‘Latex’. This material contains high concentrations of aloin and similar anthraquinones which exert a powerful laxative action when taken internally, indeed, during the 18th to the early 20th century, this yellow sap was collected and processed into a hard blackish material, the major product of the ‘laxative trade’ era, while the rest of the leaf and its other constituents were discarded.

In order to avoid contaminating the internal fillet with the yellow sap, the traditional hand- filleting method of processing Aloe Leaves was developed.

In this method, the Lower 1” of the leaf base (the white part attached to the large rosette stem of the plant), the tapering point (2-4”) of the leaf top, and

the short, sharp spines located along the leaf margins are removed by a sharp knife,

then the knife, is introduced into the mucilage layer below the green rind avoiding the vascular bundles, and the top rind is removed. The bottom rind is similarly removed, and the rind parts, to which a significant amount of mucilage remains attached, are discarded. Another portion of the mucilage layer accumulated on the top of the filleting table.

This is of critical concern because the highest concentration of potentially beneficial Aloe Constituents are found in this mucilage, as this layer represents the constituents synthesized by the vascular bundle cells empowered by energy developed in the green (chlorophyll- containing) rind cells through sun-induced photosynthesis.

The materials of the mucilage layer, subsequent to their synthesis, are distributed to the storage cells (cellulose-reinforced hexagons) of the fillet, a process that is accompanied by dilution owing to the water (the major fillet constituent), which is stored in the fillet cells. The fillet consists of more than 99% water.

As we can readily appreciate the hand filleting method is very labour intensive. Owing to this fact, machines have been designed and employed which attempt to simulate the Hand Filleted techniques, but generally the product contains higher amounts of the anthraquinones laxatives than the traditional Hand Filleted approach.

Total Process Aloe.

In this new revolutionary approach, The Aloe Leaves are Hand Filleted by the traditional, old fashioned, labor intensive method.

Then the green rinds and the mucilage layer from the tabletop are processed by a newly developed propriety methodology.

A combination of the products produced by these two procedures produces an aloe product called Total Process Aloe,

which contains an enviably high concentration of desirable constituents, which are virtually free of undesirable laxative anthraquinones.

Polysaccharides explained.

The best explanation of polysaccharides is found on tape by Dr. Ivan Danhof, M.D., Ph.D.

Fundamentals of Aloe Vera Muco polysaccharides

The Aloe Vera muco polysaccharide is a long chain sugar molecule composed of individual mannose and glucose sugar molecules connected together. There is wide range in the size of the muco polysaccharide molecule. The smallest found in the middle of the leaf in the fillet and they become larger the closer they are to the rind.The varying sizes determine their healing properties.

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Aloe vera