Aloe barbadensis

Aloe barbadensis Mill.  

Local name: Ghritakumari, Ghritakanchan

English Name: Aloe Vera

Family:  Aloaceae

Habitat: It is originated in the southern half of the Arabian peninsula, Northern Africa, the Canary islands and Cape Verde. It is widely distributed in Africa, India and other arid areas.

Plant Description: It is a stem less or very short-stemmed succulent plant growing to 60–100 cm tall. Leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with some varieties showing white flecks on the upper and lower stem surfaces. Margin of the leaf is serrated and has small white teeth. The flowers are produced in summer on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2–3 cm long.

Plant parts used: Leaf gel and sap. Aloin Extract, dried juice of leaves and pulp root.

Chemical constituents:

Leaf contains more than 200 different constituents. The juice contains, on average, more than 99% water. Some constituents are acemannan and other polysaccharides aloe-emodin, aloins, barbaloin, isobarbaloin, amino acids, amorphous aloin, enzymes, essential fatty acids (anti-inflammatory), essential oil, galactomannans (long chain sugars derived from plants), glycoproteins, minerals, polysaccharides, resin, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc.

Medicinal and Traditional Uses:

The plant is widely used in bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic conditions. It eliminates parasites (especially protozoan infections), relieves Herpes simplex & zoster, relieves symptoms of Candida, relieves symptoms of Epstein-Barr virus (chronic fatigue syndrome), relieves symptoms of fungal infections, relieves symptoms of genital herpes, and relieves symptoms of yeast infections, staphylococcus infections, vaginitis and other viral infections.

It is also an aid in different blood conditions like hyperglycemia, in blood circulation, hemorrhoids. It lowers blood sugar in people with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. It relieves hypertension and also useful in menstrual cramps and irregularity.