Investigation of Thai traditional way for detoxification of aloe

Abstract

In Thai traditional medicine, dried juice extract (DJE) of Aloe vera (L.) Burm has been used in many formulations for a long time [1]. The Thai traditional way recommends detoxifying the aloe DJE before combining with other herbal constituents. The reason for detoxification is to decrease the gastrointestinal tract irritation of aloe. The traditional method to detoxify aloe is adding small amount of water into the DJE powder and heating in clay pot until the dried and crispy mixture is formed. The objective of this study is to verify the chemical conversion of major ingredients in aloe DJE using HPTLC analysis (Silica gel 60 GF254, solvent system; ethyl acetate: methanol: water 100: 13.5: 10, detection at 420nm). Our study found that the amount of a major compound aloin (Rf 0.43) in the DJE was decreased after heating while the amount of its aglycone aloe-emodin (Rf 0.80) was increased from 50µg/mL to 473.2µg/mL. This result explains that hydrolysis and oxidation reactions can occur and some aloin is conversed to aloe-emodin resulted in decreasing anthraquinone glycoside intensity, which can cause irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and increase the chance for gripping action [2]. Further study of other glycosides and aglycones in the DJE of aloe is in progress.