Abstract
Aloe genus plants, distributed in Old World, are widely known and have been used for centuries as topical and oral therapeutic agents due to their health, beauty, medicinal, and skin care properties. Among the well-investigated Aloe species are A. arborescens, A. barbadensis, A. ferox, and A. vera. Today, they account among the most economically important medicinal plants and are commonly used in primary health treatment, where they play a pivotal role in the treatment of various types of diseases via the modulation of biochemical and molecular pathways, besides being a rich source of valuable phytochemicals. In the present review, we summarized the recent advances in botany, phytochemical composition, ethnobotanical uses, food preservation, and the preclinical and clinical efficacy of Aloe plants. These data will be helpful to provide future directions for the industrial and medicinal use of Aloe plants.
Highlights
Aloe L. is the largest genus in the Xanthorrhoeaceae family, and geographically restricted to Old World [1]
We summarized the recent advances in botany, phytochemical composition, ethnobotanical uses, food preservation, and the preclinical and clinical efficacy of Aloe plants
Aloe plants have been reported for multiple biological properties, including antibacterial and antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-rheumatoid, anticancer, and antidiabetic activities, detoxification, treating constipation, flushing out toxins and wastes from the body, promoting digestion, and reducing illnesses likelihood, as well as for immune system deficiencies [3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
Summary
Aloe L. is the largest genus in the Xanthorrhoeaceae family, and geographically restricted to Old World [1]. Aloe barbadensis, Aloe ferox, and Aloe vera are among the well-investigated Aloe species They account among the most economically important medicinal plants and are commonly used in primary health treatment, where they play a pivotal role in the treatment of various types of diseases, through biochemical and molecular pathway modulation [4]. The main commercial forms used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries [12,13] consisting of the plant’s fleshy leaves, gel, and latex are pills, jellies, creams, drinks, liquid, sprays, ointments, and lotions [3,13]. Gel, and latex are the base of the main commercial forms of aloe products (e.g., pills, jellies, creams, drinks, liquids, sprays, ointments, and lotions) [3,13]. In view of the ethnopharmacological uses and pharmacological properties of Aloe plants, this review narratively summarized the botany, phytochemical composition, ethnobotanical uses, food preservative effects, and preclinical and clinical efficacy of Aloe plants to provide further direction for its utilization in human welfare
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
