Processing, food applications and safety of aloe vera products: a review

Abstract

Aloe vera is used for vigor, wellness and medicinal purposes since rigvedic times. Health benefits of aloe vera include its application in wound healing, treating burns, minimizing frost bite damage, protection against skin damage from x-rays, lung cancer, intestinal problems, increasing high density lipoprotein (HDL), reducing low density lipoprotein (LDL), reducing blood sugar in diabetics, fighting acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), allergies and improving immune system. Phytochemistry of aloe vera gel has revealed the presence of more than 200 bioactive chemicals. Aloe vera gel is extracted from its leaves and appropriate processing techniques are needed for stabilization as well as preparation of the end products. The industries involved in processing of aloe vera need Government surveillance to ensure that the aloe vera products have beneficial bio-active chemicals as per claims of the manufacturers. Regulatory bodies also need to look into the safety and toxicological aspects of aloe vera products for food applications. The claims made for medicinal value of aloe products should be supported by authentic and approved clinical trial data. It is presumptive to mention that nutraceutical claims of aloe products made by the manufacturers are numerous. However, approved clinical evidences are available only for lowering LDL, increasing HDL, decreasing blood glucose level, treating genital herpes and psoriases.

Estonian folk traditional experiences on natural anticancer remedies: From past to the future

“…However, only limited data are available on the safety of Aloe vera supplements leaving this issue controversial and uncertain. Few reports have even shown that aloe leaf extract can itself exert some carcinogenic activity (Ahlawat & Khatkar, 2011;Boudreau et al, 2013). Aloin and aloe emodin were found in roots and petioles of Rheum rhaponticum L. (Polygonaceae) (dietary rhubarb) cultivated in Estonia, but not mentioned in folk medicine as the anticancer herbal remedy (Püssa et al, 2009).…”

Shelf-life and colour change kinetics of Aloe vera gel powder under accelerated storage in three different packaging materials

“…Now, the processing of Aloe vera gel, derived from the leaf pulp of the plant, has become a big industry worldwide due to application in food industry. Aloe vera gel processed either by traditional hand filleting and/or whole leaf process can be reduced to powder form which improves shelf-life compared to liquid products and eliminate the cost of transport and storage (Ahlawat and Khatkar 2011).…”

Role of Glucomannans in Immunology

“…This may suggest that the Aloe vera polysaccharides (if the active components) in some formulations are not stable, throughout processing/storage where degradation occurs due to heat, acid or enzymes (53). Hence, it might be that processing of such materials should be standardised to preserve the natural biological activities (126,127). The compositional variations among commercial Aloe vera products have been reported by Bozzi et al (128) who studied the authenticity of commercial Aloe vera gel powders from several leading suppliers.…”