ectal surgery, and refractory constipation
(BLUMENTHAL1).
Aloe gel and sometimes drug aloe are used
in various cosmetic and pharmaceutical for-
mulations as moisturizers, emollients, or
wound-healing agents. The fatty fraction of
the leaf is used in the cosmetics industry as a
pigment carrier.^16 Extracts of aloe or aloin are
also used in sunscreen and other cosmetic
preparations.
Food. Aloe extracts are used as a flavor
ingredient primarily in alcoholic and nonal-
coholic beverages and in candy to impart a
bitter note. Based on the reported average
maximum use levels of about 0.02% in alco-
holic (186 ppm) and nonalcoholic (190 ppm)
beverages and 0.05% in candy, the extracts
used must be tinctures or greatly diluted ex-
tracts, as standard extracts (e.g., solid extract
or fluid extract) would contain too much active
anthraglycosides to be safely used. The most
preferred commercial aloe exudates used in
bitter spirits (Port Elzabeth and Mossel Bay
aloes) show a balance of major aromatic con-
stituents not found in many other aloe
extracts.^16
Dietary Supplements/Health Foods. Aloe
veragel is used innonalcoholic beverages
that are commonly known as “aloe vera
juice.” It is normally produced from
A. veragel by diluting with water and mixing
with citric acid and preservatives. It is also
sometimes mixed with fruit juices and/or
herbal extracts. Despite label claims, “pure”
aloe vera juice is rarely pure; instead, it
contains only a minor percentage ofA. vera
gel.^1
Aloe gel products are available in liquid
and solid forms. The most popular liquid
products are the 10X, 20X, and 40X concen-
trates, while spray-driedAloe veragel extract
is the most popular solid product.^1 Commer-
cial liquid concentrates are not always genu-
ine,^46 and the more highly concentrated
they are, the more degradation they have
undergone, as evidenced by their lack of
viscosity.^1
Despite claims to be 200X concentrated
pure aloe gel, solid products normally contain
high proportions of carriers such as gums
(acacia, guar, locust bean), lactose, mannitol,
hydrolyzed starch, and/or others.^1Traditional Medicine. FreshAloe veragel
is a well-known domestic medicine,47–49
widely used to relieve thermal burn and
sunburn and to promote wound healing.^1 It
is the most widely used herbal folk remedy
among the general population in the United
States (LUST).COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONSCrude, aloin, and extracts in various forms.
Crude Barbados and Cape aloes are official in
U.S.P.
Aloin was official in N.F. XI; its current
quality is generally governed by standards set
forth in this compendium, which do not re-
quire specific assays for anthraglycosides.
Aloe gel products are available in liquid
and solid forms; qualities vary greatly de-
pending on suppliers.^46 Because the principal
component in the gel is a glucomannan simi-
lar to guar and locust bean gums, these gums
are frequently mixed with aloe gel to increase
its viscosity and yield. Dried concentrated
aloe gel can be evaluated by infrared
spectroscopy.^1Regulatory Status. Aloe has been approved
for food use as a natural flavoring (§172.510)
and is regulated in the United States as a
dietary supplement. Dried Aloe vera leaf
juice (and preparations) calculated to contain
at least 28% hydroxyanthracene derivatives
(as anhydrous barbaloin), andA. feroxdried
leaf juice (and preparations) calculated to
contain at least 18% hydroxyanthracene
derivatives (as anhydrous barbaloin), are
the subject of a German BGA monograph
(BLUMENTHAL1).Aloe (and aloe vera) 27