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Aloe Species:
Aloe vera belongs to the family Liliacae
and nearly there are about 150 species in Aloe vera.
The common varieties are:
Aloe Barbadensis Miller, Aloe Saponaria, Aloe
Chinensis, Aloe Variegata, Aloe
Forex, Aloe Lalifolia and Curacao Aloe.
Of these the most popular is Aloe Barbadensis Miller which has most therapeutic value and referred to as ‘True Aloe’.
Aloe Plant:
Aloe is a stem less
or very short-stemmed succulent
plant growing to 80-100 cm tall, spreading by offsets and root sprouts. The
leaves are lanceolate, thick and fleshy, green to gray-green, with a serrated
margin. The flowers are produced on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower
pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2-3 cm long.
Its thick leaves contain the water supply for the plant to
survive long periods of drought.
These leaves have a high capacity of retaining the water.
When a leaf is cut, a orange yellow sap drips from the open
end which has a very strong laxative effect. When the green
skin of a leaf is removed a clear mucilaginous substance
appears that contain fibers, water and the ingredients to
retain the water in the leaf. These ingredients give this
"gel" its special qualities as they are known now for many
centuries. Among the uses for this gel are acceleration of
wound healing, use on skin burns, moisturizing dry skin and
it is taken internally for peptic ulcers or gastritis.
Chemical Constituents:
Aloe contains two classes of Aloins
: (1) nataloins, which yield picric and oxalic acids with nitric acid,
and do not give a red coloration with nitric acid; and (2) barbaloins, which
yield aloetic acid (C7H2N3O5), chrysammic acid
(C7H2N2O6), picric and oxalic
acids with nitric acid, being reddened by the acid. This second group may be
divided into a-barbaloins, obtained from Barbadoes aloes, and reddened in the
cold, and b-barbaloins, obtained from Socotrine and Zanzibar aloes, reddened by
ordinary nitric acid only when warmed or by fuming acid in the cold. Nataloin
forms bright yellow scales. Barbaloin forms yellow prismatic crystals. Aloes also contain a trace of volatile oil, to which its
odour is due.
Cultivation
Aloe vera is relatively easy to care for in cultivation in frost-free climates.
The species requires well-drained sandy potting soil in moderate light. If
planted in pot or other containers ensure sufficient drainage with drainage
holes. The use of a good quality commercial potting mix to which extra
perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand are added is recommended. Alternatively,
pre-packaged 'cacti and succulent mixes' may also be used. Potted plants should
be allowed to completely dry prior to re-watering. During winter,
Aloe may
become dormant, during which little moisture is required. In areas that receive
frost or snow the species is best kept indoors or in heated glasshouses.
Climate : Aloe is grown in warm tropical areas and cannot survive freezing temperatures.
Soil:
Aloe Vera can be cultivated on any soil for 'dry land management', sandy loamy soil is the best suited for it.
Propagation: Aloe Vera is generally propagated by root suckers by carefully digging out without damaging the parent plant and planting it in the main field. It can also be propagated through rhizome cuttings by digging out the rhizomes after the harvest of the crop and making them into 5-6 cm length cuttings with a minimum of 2-3 nodes on them. Then they are rooted in specially prepared sand beds or containers.
The plant is ready for transplanting after the appearance of the first sprouts. The process of cultivating Aloe Vera
involves the following process:
The ground is to be carefully prepared to keep free from weeds and the soil is ideally kept ideally slightly acidic.
The soil should be supplied supplement in the form of ammonium nitrate every year. The plants are set spaced out by 31 inches in rows and between the rows. At that rate, about 5,000 plants are set per acre. An 8 - 12 inch aloe pop would take about 18 - 24 months to fully mature.
The plants, in a year's time, would bear flowers that are bright yellow in colour. The leaves are 1 to 2 feet long and
are cut without causing damage to the plant, so that it lasts for several years.
YIELD
The crop can be harvested 4 times a year. At the rate of 3
leaves cut from each plant, about 12 leaves are the harvest
per plant per year. On an average, the yield per acre
annually is about 60,000 kg.
The leaves cut off close to the plant are placed
immediately, with the cut end downwards, in a V-shaped
wooden trough of about 4 feet long and 12 to 18 inches deep.
The wooden trough is set on a sharp incline so that the
juice, which trickles from the leaves very rapidly, flows
down its sides, and finally escapes by a hole at its lower
end into a vessel placed beneath.
It takes about a quarter of an hour to cut leaves enough to
fill a trough. The troughs are so distributed as to be
easily accessible to the cutters.
The leaves are neither infused nor boiled, nor is any use
afterwards made of them except for manure. When the vessels
receiving the juice become filled, the latter is removed to
a cask or reserved for evaporation. This may be done at
once, or it may be delayed for weeks or even months.
The evaporation is generally conducted in a copper vessel;
at the bottom of this is a large ladle, into which the
impurities sink, and are from time to time removed as the
boiling goes on.
As soon as the inspissations has reached the proper point,
which is determined solely by the experienced eye of the
workman, the thickened juice is poured into large gourds or
into boxes, and allowed to harden.
Aloe as Medicinal Herb
Aloe vera has been used externally to treat various skin conditions such as cuts,
burns and eczema. It is alleged that sap from Aloe vera eases pain and reduces
inflammation. It has antiseptic and antibiotic properties which make it highly valuable in treating cuts and
abrasions. It has also been commonly used to treat first and second degree
burns, as well as sunburns and poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac
infections, and eczema. It can also be used as a hair styling gel and works
especially well for curly or fuzzy hair. It is also used for
making makeup, moisturisers, soaps, sunscreens, shampoos and lotions. Aloe vera gel is
useful for dry skin conditions, especially eczema around the eyes
and sensitive facial skin. Aloe vera juice may help some people with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory
bowel disease.
Aloe has been marketed as a remedy for coughs, wounds, ulcers, gastritis,
diabetes, cancer, headaches, arthritis, immune-system deficiencies, and many
other conditions when taken internally. However, the
general internal use is as a laxative. The lower leaf of the plant is used for medicinal purpose. If the lower leaf is
sliced open, the gel obtained can be applied on the affected area of the skin.
In Pakistan, the plant has been used for centuries as a carminative and digestive aid. The dried gel is mixed with seeds of various herbs and consumed after a meal. Pashtuns in the Hazara region of the North West Frontier Province have been using Aloe Vera for centuries to improve physical endurance, probably due to the high nutrient content of the gel. People in Rajastahn state of India prepare vegetable out of Aloe Vera along with fenugreek seeds. People in Tamil Nadu, another state of India prepare a curry using Aloe Vera which is taken along with Indian bread or rice. Some popular beverages, such as SoBe's Strawberry Daiquirí, contain Aloe Vera. In Mexico
smoothies made out of Aloe Vera are fairly common.
Ayurvedic Medicine: Aloe is used as an important
Ayurvedic medicines. It is used in
Jaundice - A few drops of aloe juice is installed in the
nostrils to control jaundice.
Liver disorders - Aloe juice with turmeric powder should be
taken twice a day.
Difficult urination - Continuous diluted aloe juice should be
taken time to time to alleviate this condition.
In wounds - Boil aloe leaves and take the fleshy part of the
inside of the leaves to use as a poultice over wounds.
As a cosmetic - Aloe is one of the best known moisturizers
and used in creams and shampoos.
Aloe Side Effects
If Aloe Vira is not processed properly it turned out to be poisonous.
Over dose of Aloe can cause diarrhea and kidney damage. People who are on steroids, pills for irregular heart beat, diuretics, digoxin should not use Aloe.
People with intestinal disorders, pregnant and nursing mothers and children below 12 years should not use Aloe. On May 9, 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule
banning the use of aloe and cascara sagrada as laxative ingredients in
over-the-counter drug products. The juice of the leaves of certain species, e.g. Aloe venenosa, is
poisonous.
Economics
Aloe Vera is a medicinal
plant and due to its extensive medicinal, nutraceutical and other uses
its enjoy a great demand in the market across the globe. The major markets for Aloe Vera and its extracts are Australia, US and the
entire Europe. Given the exponentially growing demand for it in the international market, Aloe Vera presents the finest commercial opportunity among the various medicinal plants. India is among the few countries gifted with the unique geographical features essential for cultivation of Aloe Vera and other high potential medicinal plants.
Modern Research
Researchers at the University of Miguel Hernández in Alicante, Spain, have
developed a gel based on A. vera that prolongs the conservation of fresh
produce, such as fresh fruit and legumes. This gel is tasteless, colorless and
odorless. This natural product is a safe and environmentally friendly
alternative to synthetic preservatives such as sulfur dioxide. The study showed
that grapes at 1°C coated with this gel could be preserved for 35 days against 7
days for untreated grapes. According to the researchers, this gel operates
through a combination of mechanics , forming a protective layer against the oxygen and moisture of the air and inhibiting, through its
various antibiotic and antifungal compounds, the action of micro-organisms that
cause foodborne illnesses.
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