A. vera has been used for many centuries for its curative and therapeutic properties, and although over 75 active ingredients from the inner gel have been identified, therapeutic effects have not been correlated well with each individual component.

Many of the medicinal effects of aloe leaf extracts have been attributed to the polysaccharides found in the inner leaf parenchymatous tissue, but it is believed that these biological activities should be assigned to a synergistic action of the compounds contained therein rather than a single chemical substance. A. vera n the food industry, it has been used as a source of functional foods and as an ingredient in other food products, for the production of gel-containing health drinks and beverages. Aloe has been described for centuries for its laxative, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant, antiseptic, wound and burn healing, prevention and treatment of peptic iulcer , antitumor , and antidiabetic activities. Due to the presence of the antioxidant polyphenols, indoles, and alkaloids, the A. vera leaf gel shows antioxidant capacity. Aloe vera juice or gel at a particular concentration could possibly be used in combination with probiotic Lactobacillus strain(s) as a combinational therapy for gastrointestinal disorders.

Loredana Cerroni

Dental Materials and Prosthetic Technologies 

University of Rome "Tor Vergata"

Head of the Education Master's degree in Natural Medicine