Aloe material has been used for drug absorption enhancement
for drugs with low bioavailability due to extensive efflux.38 Lactobacillus
brevis strains were isolated from naturally fermented
A. vera gel which inhibited the growth of many harmful enteropathogens
without restraining most normal commensals in the
gut and hence were named POAL (probiotics originating from Aloe
leaf) strains; these and exhibit discriminative resistance to a wide
range of antibiotics.39 Aloin, present in the gel, is metabolized by
the colonic flora to reactive Aloe-emodin, which is responsible for
22 M.H. Radha, N.P. Laxmipriya / Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 5 (2015) 21e26
the purgative activity. Aloe-emodin isolated from A. vera inhibits
colon cancer cell migration by downregulating MMP-2/9 and also
inhibits ras a homolog family member B and vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) via reducing DNA binding activity of nuclear
factor k-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells.40 A. vera gel has
been shown to contain five phytosterols, which are able to reduce
visceral fat accumulation, and influences the metabolism of glucose
and lipids in animal model experiments, where they reduced largesized
intestinal polyps and ameliorated reduction in plasma. High
molecular weight adiponectin levels in adenomatous polyposis coli
gene-deficient multiple intestinal neoplasia mice fed high-fat diet.
Further, an in vitro study has shown that A. vera gel and whole leaf
extract were able to reduce significantly the transepithelial electrical
resistance of the Caco-2 cell monolayers and thereby showed
the ability to open tight junctions between adjacent cells. Hence,
A. vera gel and whole leaf extract solutions significantly enhanced
the transport of insulin across the Caco-2 cell monolayers.41