Preparation and characterization of gel extracted from Aloe vera leaves

Abstract

Background: Aloe vera (A. vera) leaf gel has been utilized recently to increase intestinal absorption and drug bioavailability, notably transdermal penetration. Thus, this work developed a production procedure and assessed the physico-chemical characteristics of A. vera leaf gel. Materials and methods: A. vera leaves were collected from Hue city, Thua Thien Hue province. A. vera gel was centrifuged and tested for polysaccharide using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), purity using UV-Vis spectroscopy, pH, viscosity, refractive index, and fiber content. Results: A. vera gel preparation involves receiving raw materials, cleaning leaves, cutting, filleting, extracting gel, and refining raw gel. The liquid-state, translucent, viscous gel had a pH of 4.68 ± 0.10, a viscosity of 0.854 ± 0.010 (St), a refractive index of 1.335 ± 0.001, an optical density of 0.064 ± 0.000, and a fiber content of 0.014 ± 0.001 (g). Gel containing polysaccharide components were determined by FT-IR spectroscopy. Conclusion: The gel isolated from A. vera leaves was effectively prepared and tested for its physico-chemical characteristics. Key words: Aloe vera, gel, physico-chemical properties.