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.
