Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asphodelaceae
Genus: Aloe
Species: A.vera
Distribution
The Aloe plant thrives in hot, humid climates and cannot withstand frigid temperatures. The majority of Aloe is grown in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Florida, and Southern California in the United States. the southern United States of America, Southeast Asia, and the West Indies. Aloe is grown in about 250 different species all over the world. Aloe barbadensis Miller and Aloe arborescens are the only two species that are commercially produced.
General Characteristics
1. Aloes are xerophytes or perennial succulents.
2. They can adapt to habitats with limited or inconsistent water supplies, have the ability to store vast amounts of water in their tissue, and can utilize crassulacean acid metabolism, a photosynthetic pathway adaptation that involves the synthesis of malic acid.
3. It’s a stemless or very short-stemmed plant that grows to a height of 80-100 cm and spreads via offsets and root sprouts.
4. The leaves are lanceolate in shape, thick and meaty, green to grey-green, and have a serrated border. Aloe plants, such as Aloe vera, have green fleshy leaves with a thick cuticle or rind, which is covered by a thin vascular layer, which covers an interior clear pulp. The leaves are pea-green in color (when young speckled with white) and 30–50 cm long and 10 cm wide at the base, with bright yellow tubular blooms 25–35 cm long placed in a slender loose spike.
5. Each flower is pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2-3 cm long, and is produced on a spike up to 90 cm tall. The gel produced by the tissue in the heart of the aloe leaf is known as Aloe gel or Aloe vera gel.
6. Aloe vera includes a variety of substances. Acids have antibacterial, anti-helminitic (anti-parasitic worm), and wound-healing properties in skin tissue and ulcers.
7. The leaf pulp’s vascular bundles transfer
(I) From the roots to the leaves, water, and minerals flow.
(ii) synthesized materials to the roots
(iii) latex along the leaf’s margins for storage. Depending on the size of the leaves and the age of the plant, the number of vascular bundles varies.
8. Aloe vera plants have two major liquid materials: the first is a bitter yellow latex found beneath the strongly cutinized epidermis of the leaves in the vascular layer, which contains a high concentration of anthraquinone compounds and has been used as a cathartic and for medicinal purges for centuries; and second, a clear mucilaginous gel produced by the thin-walled tubular cells in the inner central zone (parenchyma) that By macerating the entire leaf, a third liquid can be obtained.
9. The main characteristic of the Aloe vera plant is its high water content, which ranges from 99 to 99.5 percent, with the remaining 0.5 percent solid material containing over 200 different potentially active compounds, such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes, simple and complex polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, and organic acids.
Medical applications Use described in traditional medical systems.
1. Aloe Vera Gel is commonly used to treat small wounds and inflammatory skin conditions on the outside.
2. Minor skin irritations, such as burns, bruises, and abrasions, are treated with the gel.
3. The gel is also utilized as a moisturizing element in liquids, creams, sun lotions, shaving creams, lip balms, therapeutic ointments, and face packs in the cosmetics sector.
4. Aloe Vera Gel has long been used as a natural burns treatment.
5. Aloe Vera Gel is said to be beneficial in the treatment of first and second-degree thermal burns, as well as radiation burns. When heat and radiation burns were treated with Aloe Vera Gel, they healed faster and with less necrosis.
6. The gel must be made fresh in most circumstances. Because of its vulnerability to enzymatic, oxidative, and microbiological degradation,
7. Aloe Vera Gel has been used to treat radiation burns in the past. In one trial, individuals treated with Aloe Vera cream had their radiation ulcers heal, however, the fresh gel was more effective than the cream. Another study found that after treatment with fresh Aloe Vera Gel, individuals with radiation burns experienced complete healing. Another trial used Aloe Vera Gel to treat twenty-seven individuals with partial-thickness burns. The wounds treated with Aloe Vera Gel healed faster (18.2 days) than the burns treated with petroleum jelly gauze, a statistically significant difference.
8. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the most common causes of death in the United States. Ingestion of Aloe vera gel, on the other hand, appears to have a favorable effect on the accumulation of blood fat lipids linked to the condition, according to research. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, and nonesterified fatty acid levels all decreased in Aloe vera-treated test groups, all of which, When elevated, appear to hasten the accumulation of fatty material in big and medium-sized arteries, including the heart’s coronary arteries.
9. Aloe vera Gel can help with recurring aphthous ulcers by reducing discomfort and lengthening the time between new sores.
10. Dry Skin: Aloe has traditionally been used as a moisturizer for dry skin. Aloe vera has been shown in studies to successfully alleviate skin dryness.
11. Skin Burns/Ulcers: Aloe vera has been reported to aid in the healing of mild to moderate skin burns and ulcers. Since the 1930s, extensive study has proven that clear Aloe Gel has a remarkable ability to cure wounds, ulcers, and burns by forming a protective covering on the damaged areas and speeding up the healing process.
Aloe Vera’s Medicinal Properties
1. Aloe vera aids in the healthy functioning of the major organs and the prevention of illnesses.
2. Aloe vera produces pepsin, a digestive enzyme that relieves gastrointestinal irritations, colic discomfort, and ulcers. It also aids in the recovery of heartburns. This has been passed down through European folk medical traditions and has been proven in recent clinical experiments in Japan.
3. Aloe vera is a tonic that boosts immunity and fights sickness. Because of its ability to create white blood cells, it is effective in illnesses such as HIV and cancer, particularly leukemia. As a result, the negative effects of chemotherapy and radiation can be reduced.
4. It improves circulation, allowing more oxygen to reach the cells. As a result, it has the potential to significantly improve the condition of thalasemmia patients.
5. Asthma sufferers can also benefit from aloe vera.
6. It aids in the maintenance of healthy joints and muscles, hence preventing arthritis.
7. Aloe vera is a natural detoxifier and is often regarded as the greatest colon cleaner. It works as a blood purifier because it avoids constipation.
8. It helps with kidney and liver disorders, such as jaundice. Aloe vera also helps to treat diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels.
9. It lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, resulting in a healthy heart and a lower risk of heart disease. Aloe vera helps to treat eye and ear infections by reducing inflammation and infection.
10. Aloe Vera is good for your skin. Aloe vera has a positive effect on the skin in addition to its effect on the interior organs. Antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals, are abundant in them. As a result, Aloe vera helps to prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging. It boosts the vascular system, which nourishes the skin. Aloe vera can help with skin conditions including dermatitis and even psoriasis.
11. Cuts and wounds, blisters, and burns, including sunburns and small second-degree burns, are all healed with it. Aloe vera helps to clear acne and skin allergies, as well as dark spots and blemishes. It’s also beneficial to the hair and scalp.