Indian Aloe: Best Herb for Youthful Skin, Hair and Inflammation Problems (Aloe Vera)

Table of Contents

“The Egyptians called Aloe – The plant of immortality.”

1. Introduction

The name Aloe vera derives from the Arabic word “Alloeh” which means shining bitter substance, while Vera in Latin means true. In Ayurveda, Indian aloe is known as Kumari or “young girl”, because aloe is believed to bring back youthfulness, energy and femininity. Aloe is used as a tonic for the female reproductive system.

The earliest recorded human use of aloe vera comes from the Ebers Papyrus; an Egyptians medical record, which is from the 16^th century BC. Ancient Egyptians considered Indian aloe as the plant of immortality. Egyptians queens, Nefertiti and Cleopatra used the leaves of this plant as part of their regular beauty regimes. Alexander the great and Christopher Columbus also used it to treat the wounds of their soldiers. Indian aloe was in use as a laxative since the 1800s, in the US.

Indian Aloe botanical name is Aloe Barbadensis, some other common names are musabbar, ghikanvar, elva, and aloe vera. It is an erect plant, 30 to 150 cm in height. It is mostly cultivated in many parts of India like Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.

It is commonly called aloe, burn plant, lily of the desert, and elephant’s gall. It is a cactus like plant with green dagger-shaped leaves that are fleshy, tapering, shiny, marginates and filled with a clear viscous gel.

The active principle of aloe is a mixture of a glycoside called aloin, the proportion of aloin varies in different varieties of the herb. The chief constituent of aloin is barbaloin, a pale-yellow crystalline glycoside soluble in water.

The other constituents included in Indian Aloe are barbaloin, aloe-emodin, resins, and some water-soluble substances. The characteristic odor is due to traces of essential oil. It has 6 antiseptic agents such as lupeol, salicylic acid, urea nitrogen, cinnamomic acid, phenols, and Sulphur.

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2. Common Names

• Family – Liliaceae
• Hindi Name – Ghikunwar, Ghikumari
• English Name – Indian aloe, Curacao aloe, Barbados aloe, Jaffarabad aloe

3. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Ghritakumari
• Assamese – Musabhar, Machambar
• Gujarati – Kumarpathu
• Kannada - Kathaligida
• Malayalam – Kattuvala
• Marathi – Korphad
• Tamil – Kattalai
• Telugu – Kalabanda
• Oriya – Kumari

4. Synonyms

• Amaraa – This plant does not destroy easily.
• Ambudhisrava – It gives watery jelly-like secretion on cutting its leaves.
• Bahupatra – It bears many leaves.
• Ghritakumarika – It contains ghee-like jelly substance in its leaves.
• Gruhakanya – This plant is treated as daughter of every house because of its sweet qualities.
• Kanya – It is well known for its rasayan properties.
• Kumari – It requires very little water to grow and provides cooling effects. Due to rasayan properties it provides strength and nourishment.
• Taruni – Young girls use this plant for multiple purposes.
• Vranaghni – It heals wound and abcess.

5. Classical Categorization

• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Amradi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Abhayadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Parpatadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga

6. Distribution

It is native to southern and eastern Africa along the upper Nile in the Sudan. Later, it is introduced into North Africa and many other countries across the globe. Countries like India, South Africa, USA, Venezuela, Aruba, Bonaire, Haiti, etc. cultivate this plant for commercial purposes. The Indian aloe grown is desert of Southern California is considered as the finest quality. The plant can resist temperatures up to 104 F and can also withstand below freezing temperatures until root is not damaged.

In India, it is found in Rajasthan, Andra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

7. Morphology

It is a dwarf, succulent, perennial herb with short stem and shallow root system.

Leaves – Radical, 30 to 60 cm long, 10 cm broad, and 1.8 cm thick, fleshy, in rosettes, sessile, often crowed with horny prickles on margins, surface pale green with irregular white blotches, narrowed from base to apex, convex below. Leaves are filled with a translucent slimy juice. It becomes blackish brown on drying, shiny and brittle.

Flowers – Bright yellowish-orange tubular flowers in terminal racemes about 2.5 cm long, peduncle spongy, green, simple, or few branched, up to 40 cm long. Stamens are frequently projected beyond the perianth tube.

Fruit – Capsular, 1.5 x 1.0 cm, cylindrical or ellipsoid-oblong. Fruits contain many seeds.

8. Types

There are several species under the genus Aloe, including Aloe vera, Aloe barbadensis, Aloe ferox, Aloe chinensis, Aloe indica, and Aloe perryi. Among these, Aloe vera Linn. syn. Aloe barbadensis Miller is accepted unanimously as the correct botanical source of Aloe.

9. Ayurvedic Properties

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10. Chemical Constituent

The Aloe vera leaf gel contains about 98% water, Aloe vera contains 200 potentially active constituents; vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids, amino acids, which are responsible for the multifunctional activity of Aloe.

• Vitamin – It contains Vitamins A, C, E, B12, folic acid, and choline.
• Enzymes – It contains eight enzymes: aliiase, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, bradykinase, carboxypeptidase, amylase, catalase, cellulase, and peroxide. Bradykinase helps to reduce excessive inflammation when applied to the skin topically, while others help in the breakdown of sugars and fats.
• Minerals – It provides calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc.
• Sugar – It provides monosaccharides and polysaccharides.
• Fatty Acids – It provides four plant steroids, cholesterol, campesterol and lupeol.
• Amino Acid – It provides 20 of the 22 required amino acids and 7 of the 8 essential ones.

11. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Action

The main Ayurvedic action are increase body mass, improve physical strength, aphrodisiac, pacify dosha, antidote, subside burning sensation, beneficial for eyes, rejuvenation, purgative, antipyretic, complexion promoter, wound cleansing and healing.

• Doshakarma – Kaphapittashamaka
• Dhatukarma – Brimhan, balya, vrisya
• Malakarma - Bhedan

Pharmacological Action

Aloe vera gel have bitter, cooling, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, liver stimulant, analgesic, purgative, digestive, carminative, depurative, diuretic, stomachic, aphrodisiac, antibacterial, rejuvenator, and tonic properties, antidiabetic, antitumor, antibacterial, antifungal, moisturizing actions, laxative effects, cosmetic and skin protection, immunomodulatory effects, and radio protective effects.

12. Health Benefits

Aloe vera is a miraculous herb that includes a self-healing house, since time immemorial, it has been used in traditional system in day-to-day practice. Its juice is used in dyspepsia, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, burns, colic, liver and spleen enlargement, leprosy, skin disease, constipation, worm infestation, painful inflammation, wound, chronic ulcers, asthma, and indigestion. It is an incredible herb for skin, it is an ingredient of many soaps, facial masks, toners, face wash and scrubs.

The plant is useful in everyday life as it soothes a variety of skin ailments such as mild cuts, antidote for insect's stings, bruise and eczema along with skin moisturizing and antiaging, maintains health of digestive tract, blood and lymphatic circulation and functioning of kidney, live and gall blader, and hence, makes it a boon to human.

The leaves of the plant possess serval medicinal properties, they restore disordered processes of nutrition, promote libido, arrest secretion or bleeding and promote and regulate menstrual periods. It has a detoxifier, antiseptic, antiseptic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, antioxidant, and anti-viral properties.

13. Therapeutic Uses

Inflammation in Penis – Cumin seeds pounded with juice of Aloe vera is applied as paste locally on abscess. It reduces the inflammation and pacifies burning sensation.

Abscess – Unripe, ripening or ripe abscess should be covered with the steamed leaves devoid of pulp. Decoction of Kumari, Tila, and sour gruel ripens the abscess.

Mastitis – Root of Aloe vera is mixed with Haridra and applied as paste on breast to relieve pain.

Burn – Regular application of Aloe vera gel on the affected area gives tremendous relief in itching and burning sensation caused by radiotherapy, sun exposure, chemical burn, and fire burn.

Cosmetic Use – Daily application of Aloe vera gel on the face improves complexion, reduces dark spot and acne, hydrate, rejuvenate, moisturize, and tone up the skin. Its regular use prevents the skin from sun tanning and imparts a glowing effect.

Hair Fall – Massage the juice of Aloe vera mixed with coconut milk and wheat germ oil on scalp before shampooing hair, if used continuously, it helps in regrowth of hair. Aloe vera also helps in the reduction of dandruff.

Spleen Enlargement – The juice of Aloe vera is taken with turmeric powder to treat splenomegaly and apache.

Epilepsy – Ghee cooked with juice of Aloe vera and decoction of Madhuka is given with sugar.

Jaundice – Aloe vera juice is taken as snuff to remove jaundice.

Cold - The herb is valuable for colds and coughs because of its immune-boosting and antioxidant properties. The leaf juice is beneficial for colds and coughs.

Indigestion - The herb is useful in stomach disorders; the leaves strengthen the functioning of the stomach and promote its action.

Intestinal Worms - The leaves have the property to kill intestinal worms in children, and boiled leaf juice is a beneficial and effective home remedy.

Liver Disorders - The herb stimulates the liver and is useful in liver and spleen disorders, it can be used in jaundice and enlargement of the liver, spleen, and other glands.

Rheumatism - Indian Aloe is useful in lumbago, sciatica, and rheumatism, it helps to treat joint pain and muscle pain.

Skin Disorders - In Indian indigenous medicine, fresh juice from the leaves is applied externally to treat inflamed and painful parts of the body.

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14. Official Part Used

Leaf, leaf-juice, dried juice of leaf

15. Doses

• Leaf Juice – 10 to 20 ml
• Dried Juice – 100 to 300mg

16. Formulations

Kumaryasava, Rajapravartani vati, Pradarantaka rasa.

17. Side Effects

Tropical – It may cause redness, burning and stinging sensation, and rare generalized dermatitis in sensitive individuals. Allergic reactions are mostly due to anthraquinones, such as aloin, and barbaloin. It is best to apply it to small area first to test for possible allergic reaction.

Oral – Abdominal spasms and pain may occur after even a single dose, and overdose can lead to colicky abdominal spasms and pain, as well as the formation of thin, watery stools. Chronic abuse of anthraquinone stimulant laxative can lead to hepatitis, and electrolyte disturbance, disturbs cardiac rhythm in heart patient, and can cause metabolic acidosis, weight loss, and hematuria.

Larger Dose – It can lead to accumulation of blood in pelvic region and reflux stimulation of uterine muscles and may bring about abortion.

18. Contraindications

Aloe should not be given or prescribed to patient with inflammatory intestinal diseases, such as appendicitis, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome. Aloe should not be during pregnancy or lactation except under medical supervision after evaluating benefits and risks. Aloe is also contraindicated in patients with cramps, colic, hemorrhoids, or any undiagnosed abdominal symptoms such as pain, nausea, or vomiting. Aloe is contraindicated in patients with intestinal obstruction or stenosis, atony, severe dehydration with electrolyte depletion or chronic constipation.

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