Aloe Vera

Description
Recently I attended a seminar in regard to a company which produces a line of products geared towards Anti-aging through cellular regeneration (I will go into more detail in a later entry). One of their flagship products contained a high volume of Aloe vera reduced to a very potent and compressed mass. Many benefits were then reported on the medicinal quality of what was once so commonly used as a topical ointment. It was alleged that the creator of the company had cured his cancer with aloe vera and spent a great deal of money to research this product to validate it potential. Regardless of this possibility, many supermarkets, health foods, and supplement stores now offer aloe vera. Further examination should be required to address these medicinal benefits. Primarily here the focus will be oral administration medicinal benefits rather than the topical form.

Benefits

"In addition to topical use in wound or burn healing, internal intake of Aloe vera has been linked with improved blood glucose levels in diabetics, and with lower blood lipids in hyperlipidaemic patients, but also with acute hepatitis (liver disease). In other diseases, preliminary studies have suggested oral Aloe vera gel may reduce symptoms and inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis. Compounds extracted from Aloe vera have been used as an immunostimulant that aids in fighting cancers in cats and dogs; however, this treatment has not been scientifically tested in humans. The injection of Aloe vera extracts to treat cancer has resulted in the deaths of several patients."^[6]

Research

"BACKGROUND: The use of aloe vera is being promoted for a large variety of conditions. Often general practitioners seem to know less than their patients about its alleged benefits. AIM: To define the clinical effectiveness of aloe vera, a popular herbal remedy in the United Kingdom.
METHOD: Four independent literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Biosis, and the Cochrane Library. Only controlled clinical trials (on any indication) were included. There were no restrictions on the language of publication. All trials were read by both authors and data were extracted in a standardized, pre-defined manner.
RESULTS: Ten studies were located. They suggest that oral administration of aloe vera might be a useful adjunct for lowering blood glucose in diabetic patients as well as for reducing blood lipid levels in patients with hyperlipidaemia. Topical application of aloe vera is not an effective preventative for radiation-induced injuries. It might be effective for genital herpes and psoriasis. Whether it promotes wound healing is unclear. There are major caveats associated with all of these statements.
CONCLUSION: Even though there are some promising results, clinical effectiveness of oral or topical aloe vera is not sufficiently defined at present."^[1]

"Scientific investigations on Aloe vera have gained more attention over the last several decades due to its reputable medicinal properties. Some publications have appeared in reputable Scientific Journals that have made appreciable contributions to the discovery of the functions and utilizations of Aloe--"nature's gift." Chemical analysis reveals that Aloe vera contains various carbohydrate polymers, notably glucomannans, along with a range of other organic and inorganic components. Although many physiological properties of Aloe vera have been described, it still remains uncertain as to which of the component(s) is responsible for these physiological properties. Further research needs to be done to unravel the myth surrounding the biological activities and the functional properties of A. vera. Appropriate processing techniques should be employed during the stabilization of the gel in order to affect and extend its field of utilization."^[2]

"Research since the 1986 review has largely upheld the therapeutic claims made in the earlier papers and indeed extended them into other areas. Treatment of inflammation is still the key effect for most types of healing but it is now realized that this is a complex process and that many of its constituent processes may be addressed in different ways by different gel components. A common theme running though much recent research is the immunomodulatory properties of the gel polysaccharides, especially the acetylated mannans from Aloe vera, which are now a proprietary substance covered by many patents. There have also been, however, persistent reports of active glycoprotein fractions from both Aloe vera and Aloe arborescens. There are also cautionary investigations warning of possible allergic effects on some patients. Reports also describe antidiabetic, anticancer and antibiotic activities, so we may expect to see a widening use of aloe gel. Several reputable suppliers produce a stabilized aloe gel for use as itself or in formulations and there may be moves towards isolating and eventually providing verified active ingredients in dosable quantities"^[3]

"Acemannan refers to a D-isomer mucopolysaccharide that is extracted from aloe leaves. This compound has been known to have immunostimulant (1), antiviral, antineoplastic and gastrointestinal properties (5).

Acemannan has been demonstrated to induce macrophages to secrete interferon (INF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukins (IL-1) – which might help in preventing or abrogating viral infection. These three cytokines are known to cause inflammation and interferon is released in response to viral infections. In vitro studies have shown to inhibit HIV replication; however, in vivo studies have been inconclusive. Acemannan is currently being used for treatment and clinical management of fibrosarcoma in dogs and cats. Administration of acemannan has been shown to increase tumor necrosis or prolonged survival and the animals have demonstrated lymphoid infiltration and encapsulation (7).

The compound is not OSHA regulated and has been found to have LD50 of >80 mg/kg and LC50 >5,000 mg/Kg IV (2)."^[5]

"Eight dogs and five cats with histopathologically confirmed fibrosarcomas were treated with Acemannan Immunostimulanta in combination with surgery and radiation therapy. These animals had recurring disease that had failed previous treatment, a poor prognosis for survival, or both. Following four to seven weekly acemannan treatments, tumor shrinkage occurred in four (greater than 50%; n = 2) of 12 animals, with tumors accessible to measurement. A notable increase in necrosis and inflammation was observed. Complete surgical excision was performed on all animals between the fourth and seventh week following initiation of acemannan therapy. Radiation therapy was instituted immediately after surgery. Acemannan treatments were continued monthly for one year. Seven of the 13 animals remain alive and tumor-free (range, 440+ to 603+ days) with a median survival time of 372 days. The data suggests that Acemannan Immunostimulant may be an effective adjunct to surgery and radiation therapy in the treatment of canine and feline fibrosarcomas."^[4]

References
^[1] Aloe vera: a systematic review of its clinical effectiveness.

^[2] Aloe vera: a valuable ingredient for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries--a review.

^[3] Aloe vera leaf gel: a review update

^[4] The effect of Acemannan Immunostimulant in combination with surgery and radiation therapy on spontaneous canine and feline fibrosarcomas.

^[5] Wikipidea: Acemannan Immunostimulant

^[6] Wikipedia Entry: Aloe Vera