Aloe

General Introduction

By
S. Akila
 Aloe
Family: Liliaceae
English Name Aloe, Barbados aloe,
Curacao aloe
Indian aloe,
jaffarbad aloe

Indian Name: Kumari Sanskrit

Gheekanvar Hindi
Lolesara Kannada
Thazhai Tamil
Species and varieties

Aloe barbadensis Miller Aloe vera toun ex linn

Aloe ferox Aloe perriyi
Aloe africana Aloe spicata
Of the 275 species three are commercially important

Aloe barbadens is curacao aloe

Indian aloe West Indies
Jaffarabad aloe
Barbados aloe
A ferox and it’s Cape aloe South Africa
Hybrids

A perryi Socotrine aloe South Africa

Other aloe species yield aloes of lesser importance

This plant being native of Africa

Which is grown in
Greece
Barbadense Islands
China
Italy
Veninsula
South Africa
India
Pakisthan
Bangladesh
In India
it is grown in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and
Tamilnadu
• Cathartic anthro-glycosides as it’s active
principles
• These are mostly c-glucosides of aloe emodin.
The concentration of this varies with the types
of aloe from 4.5% to 25% of aloin

• Chromone ie aloesin and it’s aglycone aloesone

• Free anthroquinones

• Resins
• Gel contains a glucomannan a polysaccharide
• Other polysaccarides

(containing galactose,xylose and arabinose)

• Steroids
• Organic acids
• Enzymes
• Antibiotic principles
• Amino acids
• Biogenic stimulators
• Wound healing Harmones
• Saponins
• Minerals and so forth
 Uses of aloe extracts
• Aloe and aloin are extensively used in laxative
preparations.

• Aloe gel are used as moisturizer,emollient or wound

healer in various cosmetic
and pharmaceutical formulations

• Extracts of aloe are used in sunscreen,X-ray

burns,dermatitis and in other cosmetic preperations

• As a food aloe extracts are used as a flavouring

ingrediants and in candy to impart a slight bitter
taste
 Familiar varieties in India
In India 2 or 3 varieties are recognized as well
grown
• A.vera chinensis Baker

Common all over Deccan,The leaves have a

distinct purple color towards the base and the
spines are not sharp
• A.Vera littoralis Koenig ex Baker

Found on beach shingles in Madras right upto

Rameshwaram are smaller in size and have a
dentate margin
Familiar varieties in India
• A.variegata linn
A near kin of A.vera is found
in the parts of Maharastra.It is
large fleshy green leaves with
sharp spins and white speck
in the base of the leaf

• Aloe abyssinica
This thrives in Kathiawar
coast
National Bureau of Plant Genetic
Resources Delhi
Aloe accessions having
high aloin content
• IC 111271
• IC 111280
• IC 111269
• IC 111273
• IC 111279
• IC 111267
National Bureau of Aloe having high
Plant Genetic
Resources Delhi gel content
• IC 111267
• IC 111266
• IC111280
• IC 111272
• IC 111277
 Soil
• This hardy plant grows in all
types of soils
• Does well in sandy coastal to
loamy soils of the plains
• It requires PH upto 8.5

Cultivation
Practices This doesnot grow under water
logged conditions and problem
soils
 Climate
• Ideal time is March to June
• Found in warm Humid or dry
climate

Cultivation • It requires 150-200cm to about

Practices 35-40cm of yearly rainfall.
• In dry regions protective
irrigation is essential
 Land preparation

• To be ploughed twice

• To be cleaned thoroughly of weeds

Cultivation
Practices • If required small canals may be
prepared for drainage

• 25t/ha of cowdung manure is also

to be added
 propagation
• The plants are generally propogated by
root suckers (Pups) or rhizome cuttings
planting
• 1-2 months old pups are planted at a
spacing of 60 x 30 cms or 60 x 40 cms
Cultivation • Same sized say 15-18 cm long pups or
Practices rhizome cuttings are to be planted
• Planting is done in such a way that 2/3
portion of them are under the ground
• Treat the pups with Carbendazim
(1gm/1liter of water) to prevent rotting
• 10000 pups/ ha is needed
 Manuring
• An adhoc basic recommendation of a
mixture of 150kg/ha N P K is adviced
• The fertilizers are applied in the soil near
the root system after the plants are
established
Cultivation irrigation
Practices • Soon after planting life irrigation
• Generally 4 to 5 irrigations/yr are
sufficient
• However water should not stagnate
near the plant
 Weeding
• Weeding may be done twice a
year
• The land should be kept weed-
free
Cultivation
Practices Pest & diseases
• No serious pest infestation
• Leafspot by Alttarnaria alterata &
Fusarium solani infestation is
noticed
• Water logging may cause rotting
disease
 Cultivation
Harvesting
• Harvested at 8-12 months
• Manually/tractor drawn disc
harrow/cultivator
• The left out broken rhizome sprouts
back succeedingly in the spring
Cultivation
Practices yield
• Commercial yield from 2nd year to 5th yr
after that to be replanted
• 10000-12000kgs/ha (yd based on fresh
wt)
 Economics

The prevailing market price for aloe

vera leaves is around Rupees 4-4.5/
kg as of now (Fresh weight)

Hence a minimum of RS 50000 to RS

60000 may be got as profit per
Cultivation hectare.

Practices
The cost benefit may be 1:3 to 1:5
depending on the product whether
raw,processed derivatives or value
added product
1. Dried Aloe leaves or powders are often exported to the
European countries.

2. The price of dried Aloes in India ranges from Rs.600 to

RS.1000 per kg depending upon the `aloin' content
and colour of the dried leaves.

3. Aloe gels are expensive herbal cosmetics.Owing to the

increased preference to herbal cosmetics, the demand
for Aloe vera is on the rise every year.

4. Selection of ‘aloin’ rich varieties and cultivation of aloe

on commercial scale following scientific approach will
be really remunerative.

5. It is definitely a crop highly suitable for growing in

many parts of India.

The crop could be promoted for commercial cultivation in

marginal soils as well.
Investment required Rs 25 lacs.
SINGLE STRENGTH JUICE
  
 

    Micropulp
  99.7% pure Aloe Vera with pulp

99.7% pure Aloe Vera super filtered and

    EQ CSE
naturally preserved with CSE
    Aloe Vera
99.7% pure Aloe Vera chunks in pure juice
Crush

     EQ 99.7% pure Aloe Vera super-filtered clear juice

     Whole Leaf 99.7% pure double strength Aloe Vera juice

available in both full fiber and super-filtered
LIQUID CONCENTRATES
  
 

    40:1 Aloe Vera Concentrate > 20% Aloe Solids

    20:1 Aloe Vera Concentrate > 10% Aloe Solids

    10:1 Aloe Vera Concentrate > 5% Aloe Solids

    5:1 Leaf Juice Concentrate > 2.5% Aloe Solids

POWDER CONCENTRATES
  
 

     200:1 Freeze Dried 100% pure Aloe Vera actives

   100:1 Freeze Dried

  50% pure Aloe Vera actives

   50:1 Freeze Dried 25% pure Aloe Vera actives

   200:1 Spray Dried 100% pure Aloe Vera actives

    100:1 Spray Dried 50% pure Aloe Vera actives

   50:1 Spray Dried 25% pure Aloe Vera actives

   16:1 Cosmetic Powder 8% pure Aloe Vera actives

 COSMETIC PRODUCTS
    

   Soothing Gel

    Aloe Vera Antiseptic with Tea Tree oil

   Aloe Vera Liniment with Tea Tree oil

 

   Moisturisers

   Shampoo & Conditioner

   Body Soap
FOOD INGREDIENTS
  
 

99.7% pure Aloe Vera bits in juice

   Jelly Meat
(non-filtered)
Current Market Scenario
for Raw Material
The current global turnover of raw aloe
leaves amounts up to US$ 70-90 million
dollars, which is expected to grow at a
rate of 35% in the next five years.

For Processed Derivatives

The current global trade is estimated at
around US$ 1 billions and is steadily
increasing.

For Value Added Products

The world market for aloe based finished
products is stated as around US$ 25
billions.
Present Global USA supplies the major bulk of
Players aloe in world market having a
share of 60-65%,
whereas Latin American
countries supplies 20-25% and
Australia, China and India
combined has a market share of
only 10%.

Keeping this high rising global

demand and India's conducive
geo-climatic conditions for
cultivation of Aloe in view,
cultivation of this herb must be
promoted.This will fetch India
good foreign reserves as well as
domestic economic prosperity.
Following is the list of principal illnesses and
discomforts on which ALOE VERA may help
to maintain health ( DRUGS)
indigestion headaches
constipation poor blood circulation
acidity respiratory disorders
intestinal asthma
inflammation poor wound healing
gastric joint problems
problems psoriasis
liver ailments eczema
arthritis minor cuts and burns
muscular pain acne & pimples
diabetes infections & allergies
mosquito bites
  
 
 Biological Vehicle 
Aloe Vera has great penetration
power and acts from deep
inside.
It reaches the bottom most
layer of the skin and increases
blood flow to the skin and acts
from deep inside.
Aloe Vera is able to move through the surface of the skin to
the vascular dermal area.
Not only that, it carries along with it other nutrients and
medicines wherever required in the human body, while making
them more effective.
Aloe vera contains water soluble and insoluble compounds,
which makes it a good carrier for all kinds of drugs-water-and
lipid-soluble compounds
Immune System Booster
 Immune System Booster
Aloe Vera boosts and stimulates
immune system of the body.

Whenever there is an attack by any

foreign body or infection, our body
produces anti-bodies to defend them.

Aloe Vera makes these anti-bodies

more effective and boosts up the
resistance of the human body towards
diseases and illness.
 Detoxification
Toxins get accumulated
in the intestinal tract,
cells, blood etc., thereby
leading to many
diseases.

Aloe Vera has great penetration power and

has saponins that help clean these toxins
from the roots.
 Cell Regeneration
The human body continuously generates new cells
while the dead cells are removed from the body.
The cells make tissues,
tissues make organs,
organs make systems and
systems make the body.

Poor cell regeneration results in the slow functioning

of organs giving rise to many illnesses.

Aloe Vera catalyses the process of formation of new

cells and tissues, thus enhancing the performance of
the organs making the systems perform more
effectively.
Wound Healing
 Wound Healing
Aloe Vera is a natural substance that contains
many biologically active molecules.

Aloe Vera acts by inhibiting pain and

inflammation as well as by stimulating wound
healing.

The sterols present in Aloe Vera contribute to

the anti-inflammatory activity.
The plant growth factors in Aloe Vera enhance
the proliferation of cells as well as cellular
migration, which helps in faster wound healing
 Wound Healing
Healing is also accelerated by transfer of
water content from Aloe Vera to injured
tissues.
Aloe Vera acts as anti-septic, anti-bacterial,
anti-fungal and anti-viral.
Its cell regeneration properties help in faster
healing and preventing scars.
Moreover, in adverse condition like
diabetes, which hampers the natural healing
mechanism of body,
Aloe vera helps in healing the wounds
faster.
Anti Allergenic
 Anti Allergenic
Aloe Vera may prevent the release of
histamine, the chemical in the body that
produces the symptoms of allergies.

Aloe Vera stimulates the immune system

to fight against allergies and builds
resistance.
Energizer & Nutritional
 Energiser & Nutritional
Aloe Vera boosts the metabolism of the
body. Metabolism is the process of
conversion of food into energy.
Consumption of Aloe Vera stimulates the
metabolic process hence one feels more
fresh and energetic.
Aloe Vera contains many vitamins,
enzymes, polysaccharides, amino acids,
hormones, etc and hence provides nutrition
to the human body.
 Liver & Kidney Tonic  

Poor liver function may be the cause of

frequent bad breath, abdominal bloating, poor
digestion, fatigue, headaches, unpleasant moods,
coated tongue, sluggish metabolism, poor immune
system and numerous other symptoms.

Aloe Vera corrects Liver dysfunction by improving

metabolism, stimulating & modulating the immune
system and detoxification.
Aloe Vera supplements the kidneys in its function to
eliminate body wastes with increased hydration and
cleansing properties
Digestion Improver
Digestion Improver
Aloe Vera helps to remove toxins from the body.

It also helps to maintain the balance of digestive

juices in the entire digestive system, making the
process of digestion defect free and more effective.

Thus, Aloe Vera helps to treat and prevent many

digestive disorders like indigestion, constipation,
acidity, gastric problems, ulcer, stomach and colon
cancer etc.
 Blood Pressure

Aloe Vera helps to maintain the normal

blood pressure of the body in both
high and low blood pressure patients
Menstural Problems
Menstural Problems

According to Ayurveda, Aloe Vera is

one of the best treatments for
menstrual disorders like irregular
periods, pain during the periods and
hormonal imbalance during
menopause etc
Moisturiser & Cleanser

Aloe vera is a natural

moisturiser and
cleanser.

It retains the natural

moisture of the skin and
also helps to regain the
lost moisture by
hydrating the skin.
Penetration Power 
Penetration Power
Aloe Vera has great
penetration power property
owing to the lignin present in
it.

Aloe Vera reaches to the

bottom most layer of the
skin, increases blood flow to
the skin and acts from deep
within, giving a healthy glow
to the skin.
 Astringent
Aloe vera helps in cell regeneration, retaining the
natural moisture and tightening of the skin, hence
also acts as anti-wrinkle and skin toner.

All of these medicinal properties make Aloe

Vera an ideal health supplement. Being a natural
product Aloe Vera does not have any known
adverse side effects besides it is also non-
addictive. The beauty of Aloe Vera is that, all
components work synergistically to give
maximum benefits and enhance potency of any
other medications.
Aloe Vera Juice

100% pure Aloe Vera available in natural

and delightful mix-fruit and mango
flavours

Aloe Vera is a treasure chest of beneficial ingredients,

containing polysaccharides, glycosides, organic acids,
plant hormones, plant sterols, amino acids, enzymes,
vitamins, minerals etc.

It is well known for its wide range of medicinal properties.

Aloe Vera has a remarkable ability to normalise body's
natural metabolism and has the effect of enhancing the
immune system function through improved digestion.
Aloe Vera is a natural detoxifier, improves
liver functions and also acts as a potent anti-

 
inflammatory agent. Regular consumption of
pure, natural and properly stabilised Aloe Vera
Juice can help people receive more values
                                                                         

from daily foods and medications.

Aloe Vera with goodness of

Shankhpushpi (Convovulus
Microphyllus) and Brahmi(Centella
Asiatica) in delicious orange flavour
Chemical Evaluation
of the Aloe leaves
1. 1 yr old whole leaf plant at flowering
stage to be used for chemical assay
2. Make transverse incision on the
leaves for it to ooze
3. Collect the oozing latex in a beaker
4. Filter it take a part of it say 1ml into
an already weighted test tube.
5. Dry it at a high temperature and
weigh
This gives the weight of 1ml of the
exudates
• Another part of of the filtered
exudates is transferred to a
separating funnel (10 – 25 ml )
• This is repeatedly extracted with ethyl
acetate (4 x 25 ml)
• The total ethyl acetate extract filtered
and evaporated at reduced pressure
and low temperature (<500C)
• This residue is redissolved in warm
water (100 ml)
• And a small portion (1-2 ml) is taken
for chemical assay
Isolation and quantitative estimation of aloe
gel

• The portion of the leaves after the removal of the

exudates are cut open
• Their mucilage is scrapped out with a blunt
edged knife
• This mucilage is stirred vigorously in a blender to
make a uniform solution
• This is strained through a muslin cloth & filtered
• A portion say 5ml is taken in a centrifuge tube of
(50 ml capacity)
• The gel is precipitated from the extract by slowly
adding acetone while stirring
Isolation and quantitative estimation of aloe
gel

• Keep it over night

• The gel is obtained by
centrifuging
• This gel is re-dissolved in
slightly warm water and
carefully transferred to an
already weighed tube
• It is dried at high temperature
and weighed

This gives the aloe gel content of a

given volume
 • Aloe is coarse-looking, perennial, shallow-
rooted plant with a short stem,30-60cms
high
• The plant has multiple tuberous roots and
many supporting roots penetrating into the
soil.
• The plant generally grow close to the
ground ina typical rosette shape.
Aloe • The fleshy leaves are densely crowded,
plant strongly cuticularized and have a spiny
margin with thin walled tubular cells
• The leaves are flat or slightly concave on the upper
surface and strongly rounded on the lower sessile with a
strong spine at the apex and smaller ones along the margins
They bear spikes of yellow to red flowers
 Aloe content and varieties
• Curcacao aloe
yellow to reddish brown or chocolate brown and breaks with a
dull waxy even fracture
• Cape aloe
Dark reddish brown or nearly black colored mass which has a
clear glassy fracture.It has a distinct sour odor
• Socotrine aloe
Has a partly semi-liquid consistency, opaque with brownish
yellow color when dried under heat turns a hard dark brown
mass with a characteristic unpleasant odor and extremely
bitter nauseating taste. This is entirely soluble in alcohol
• Zanzibar aloe
hard in liver brown color with a characteristic but not
disagreeable odor and bitter taste
 Aloe tested in Powder form
It is mounted under the microscope in lacto-phenol

• This lacto-phenol has an advantage over any

other oil, liquid paraffin or glycerin

• It brings about a gradual solution of particles and

the crystals becomes rapidly and clearly evident
Aloe tested in Powder form
• When mounted under the microscope in lacto-
phenol
Cape aloe is transparent brown irregular
angular fragments
Curcacao aloe shows fragments composed of
inumerable minute slender prisms or needles
Socotrine aloe has fragments of fairly large
prisms grouped irregularly into mass
Zanzibar aloe has irregular lumps with
embedded nodular mass
Chemical tests for identification
of different aloe varieties

• Bromine test
• Borax test
• Modified test for anthrocine
derivatives
• Cupraloin test by Iso-barboloin
• Nitric acid tests
Microscopic mounting under
cresol using polarized light
Curcacao aloe
Insoluble and shines brightly against
dark field
It is crystalline
Cape
dissolves and invisible in polarized
light against dark field
It is amorphous
The amorphous aloe has 1/3rd the
cathartic potency of crystalline aloe
 Processing Aloe Leaves

During the past several decades four basic methods of

processing Aloe Vera leaves
have been developed, namely:

1. Traditional Hand Filleted Aloe

2. Whole Leaf Aloe

3. Powdered forms of Aloe

A. Spray-Dried Aloe Powder

B. Lyophilized Aloe Powder
C. Dehydrated Aloe Powder

4. Total Process Aloe Vera

Traditional Hand Filleted Aloe Vera
The Aloe Leaf consists of three layers:
A. The outer thick rind

B. A viscous, jelly like mucilage layer into

which the vascular bundles, attached to the
inner surface of the rind, protrude.

C. The fillet proper, which has structural

integrity consisting of hexagonal, structures
containing the fillet fluid. This is the water
storage area for the plant.
The pericyclic cells located at the top of
the vascular bundles contain a yellow
liquid called ‘the yellow sap’ or ‘Latex’.
This material contains high
concentrations of aloin and similar
anthraquinones which exert a powerful
laxative action when taken internally,
indeed,
during the 18th to the early 20th
century, this yellow sap was collected
and processed into a hard blackish
material,
the major product of the ‘laxative trade’
era, while the rest of the leaf and its
other constituents were discarded.
In order to avoid contaminating the internal fillet
with the yellow sap, the traditional hand- filleting
method of processing Aloe Leaves was developed.

In this method, the Lower 1” of the leaf base

(the white part attached to the large rosette stem
of the plant),

the tapering point (2-4”) of the leaf top, and

the short, sharp spines located along the leaf

margins are removed by a sharp knife,
 then the knife, is introduced into the
mucilage layer below the green rind avoiding
the vascular bundles, and the top rind is
removed. The bottom rind is similarly
removed, and the rind parts, to which a
significant amount of mucilage remains
attached, are discarded. Another portion of
the mucilage layer accumulated on the top of
the filleting table.
This is of critical concern because the
highest concentration of potentially
beneficial Aloe Constituents are found in this
mucilage, as this layer represents the
constituents synthesized by the vascular
bundle cells empowered by energy
developed in the green (chlorophyll-
containing) rind cells through sun-induced
photosynthesis.
The materials of the mucilage layer,
subsequent to their synthesis, are distributed
to the storage cells (cellulose-reinforced
hexagons) of the fillet, a process that is
accompanied by dilution owing to the water
(the major fillet constituent), which is stored
in the fillet cells. The fillet consists of more
than 99% water.
As we can readily appreciate the hand filleting
method is very labour intensive. Owing to this
fact, machines have been designed and employed
which attempt to simulate the Hand Filleted
techniques, but generally the product contains
higher amounts of the anthraquinones laxatives
than the traditional Hand Filleted approach.
Total Process Aloe.

In this new revolutionary approach, The

Aloe Leaves are Hand Filleted by the
traditional, old fashioned, labor
intensive method.

Then the green rinds and the mucilage

layer from the tabletop are processed by
a newly developed propriety
methodology.

A combination of the products produced

by these two procedures produces an
aloe product called Total Process Aloe,

which contains an enviably high

concentration of desirable constituents,
which are virtually free of undesirable
laxative anthraquinones.
Polysaccharides explained.

The best explanation of polysaccharides is found on

tape by Dr. Ivan Danhof, M.D., Ph.D.

Fundamentals of Aloe Vera Muco polysaccharides

The Aloe Vera muco polysaccharide is a long chain

sugar molecule composed of individual mannose and
glucose sugar molecules connected together.
There is wide range in the size of the muco
polysaccharide molecule.
The smallest found in the middle of the leaf in the
fillet and they become larger the closer they are to
the rind.
The varying sizes determine their healing properties.