Quantitative Determination of Aloin in Aloe vera and Its Antioxidant Activity

Abstract

Aloe vera is a popular medicinal plant used widely by the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. The Aloe vera gel, which is used mostly for its positive effects on human health,contains over 75 different bioactive compounds, including aloin. A sensitive and reliable densitometric High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography method has been developed for the quantification of aloin, an anthraquinone present in Aloe vera leaves. Chromatographic analysis was performed using methanol extract of leaves of Aloe vera using solvent system ethyl acetate: Methanol: water (100:13.5:10). Detection and quantification of aloin was done by densitometric scanning at 350nm. The results of linearity range and correlation coefficient show that there was a good correlation between peak area and corresponding concentration of aloin. The method developed here in can be implemented in the analysis and routine quality control of herbal materials. Antioxidant activity of Aloe vera was also done by using DPPH method and found that Aloe vera is also a natural antioxidant.