Could We Really Use Aloe vera Food Supplements to Treat Diabetes? Quality Control Issues.

Solomon Habtemariam

doi:10.1155/2017/4856412

Solomon Habtemariam

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/4856412

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Abstract

Diabetes UK has recently listed a number of herbs and spices that have been clinically shown to improve blood glucose control in type-2 diabetes patients and the diabetes high-risk group. With Aloe vera being top in this list, its health benefit along with health and beauty/food retailers supplying it was illustrated in detail. Previous article from this laboratory scrutinised the merit of using A. vera as an alternative therapy to prescription antidiabetic drugs and the risk of using food supplements in the market which do not qualify as drug preparations. In continuation of this discussion, the present study assesses three Aloe Pura brands and one Holland and Barret brand of A. vera juice supplements in the UK market through chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis. While the polysaccharide active ingredient, acemannan, appears to be within the recommended limit, it was found that Aloe Pura (one of the best-selling brands for A. vera supplement) products have benzoate additive that does not appear in the supplement levels. Moreover, two of the Aloe Pura brand juices contain methanol, suggesting that the International Aloe Science Council (IASC) certification does not guarantee the medicinal quality of these products. The therapeutic fitness of such supplements is discussed.

Highlights

Throughout the history of mankind, nature has provided unlimited access to potential medicines from the diverse flora, fauna, and mineral resources [1]
Advances in drug discovery through chemical synthesis and technologies within the pharmaceutical/academic industries in the last few decades have shifted the balance of drug development from natural to synthetic origin [3]
There are a plethora of evidences to show the ever-increasing global impact of the food supplement industry

Summary

Introduction

Throughout the history of mankind, nature has provided unlimited access to potential medicines from the diverse flora, fauna, and mineral resources [1]. Analysis of these samples by HPLC using UV detection at 250 nm confirmed the removal of these phenolic compounds: the two principal components of these products by the HPLC methodology of analysis were ascorbic acid and potassium sorbate/sodium benzoate which are the antioxidant and preservative additives, respectively (Figure 3).

Results

Conclusion