A REVIEW: THERAPEUTIC, MEDICINAL AND FOOD USES OF ALOE VERA

Fatma A Ahmed; Taha AI El-Bassossy; Ahmed AM Abdelgawad

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v8i6.1045

Fatma A Ahmed Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Department, Desert Research Center, 11753, Cairo, Egypt. Regional Development Centers (RDC), Academy of Scientific Research and Tecchnology (ASRT), Egypt.
Taha AI El-Bassossy Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Department, Desert Research Center, 11753, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed AM Abdelgawad Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Department, Desert Research Center, 11753, Cairo, Egypt. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Jazan University, Jizan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

10.22270/ujpr.v8i6.1045

Keywords:

Aloe vera, food, medicinal, therapeutic, uses

Abstract

The history for the use of Aloe vera for medicinal purposes starts from about 3000 years. Medicinally, this plant may be able to treat skin cancer as well as sunburns, burns, and small wounds. More than 104 compounds from various parts of this plant, including minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, sterols, anthraquinone, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins, polysaccharides, sugars, and polyphenols, have been isolated thus far, according to scientific reports on phytochemical analysis of this plant. The biological activities of these compounds are diverse and include anthelmintic, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, diuretic, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and cosmetic effects for medical therapy. This article mainly emphasizes therapeutic, medicinal and food uses of A. vera.