Aloe vera has been used as to treat skin issues for at least three thousand years, as the Egyptians cultivated it to help relieve sunburn and other skin irritations.
The wisdom of these uses is now becoming more obvious. Modern research has found that Aloe not only helps to prevent irritations and even skin cancer, but can stop other types of cancers.
Research showing that Aloe vera gel both prevents and treats cancer was presented at the 2013 First National Meeting on Aloe at the University of Naples. Here Aloe researchers unveiled some significant research indicating Aloe's ability to prevent and treat cancer caused by UVB radiation.
And a review of research from Israel's University of Heifa found that Aloe contains several anticancer components. These include the polysaccharide Acemannan, the anthraquinone glycoside called Aloin, and another anthraquinone called Aloe-emodin. In addition, Aloe contains several Lectins that provide immune stimulation as well as Aloctin A - which also stimulates the immune system.
Aloe-emodin's effects on skin cancer
Research from the University of Belgrade's School of Medicine confirmed what previous studies on Aloe-emodin found. The biochemical inhibit the process of skin cancer growth - also called cancer cell proliferation.The researchers tested Aloe-emodin on human skin cells called keratinocytes after being treated with radiation. Once radiated, keratinocytes will typically proliferate (expand) into skin cancer tumors.
The researchers found that the Aloe-emodin significantly stopped the proliferation process. This confirmed Aloe’s benefit in halting the progression of tumor formation after radiation by the sun.
A similar result was found by researchers from South Korea’s Gachon University of Medicine and Science. They determined that Aloe-emodin specifically halted the growth of human cancerous liver cells. The researchers found that Aloe-emodin stimulated a genetic change within the cancerous cells that not only halted their expansion but induced cell death among the cancer cells.
Researchers from Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology found that Aloe-emodid was able to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells. The Aloe-emodin also induced cell death among the individual cancer cells.
These studies of human cells confirm similar findings in animal research - showing the application of Aloe vera gel onto the skin significantly inhibits the progression of skin cancer.
China Medical University researchers determined that another Aloe constituent called Rhein also produced anticancer effects. They found that tumor progression was halted and cancer cell death occurred as a result of Rhein.
Aloin found to be antioxidant as well as anticancer
Other research has found that Aloin is a significant antioxidant. Research from India's Asthagiri Herbal Research Foundation determined that aloin not only reduced free radicals, but illustrated its anticancer effects.In 2007, a Washington, D.C. panel of doctors and skin specialists conducted a review – the Cosmetic Ingredient Review – to study the safety of Aloe vera extracts in consumer products. The research found that some of the extracts – particularly those with higher levels of anthraquinones – should be ingested or applied to the skin with some level of caution and professional advice, especially for those with sensitive skin. Aloe-emodin and Emodin are both anthraquinones.
Aloe compounds stop other cancer cells
Research from Guangxi Medical University has determined that Aloe's Rhein and Aloe-emodin compounds inhibit the growth of liver cancer cells, throat cancer cells, lung cancer cells, ovarian cancer cells and cervical cancer cells. The inhibitory action of these compounds was increased when they were combined in the laboratory.University of Rome researchers found that Aloe-emodin inhibited the growth of leukemia cells by interfering with their ability to differentiate and migrate.
Other findings
This must be considered together with the many findings that have illustrated that whole plant herbs are safer than extracts because they contain numerous buffering agents that balance the effects of the plant's active constituents.Aloe also contains a number of other constituents - many which provide antioxidant and immune-stimulating properties. These include quercetin, luteolin, apigenin, kaempferol, isoorientin, isovitexin, saponarin, lutonarin, chlorogenic acid, pectic acid, caffeic acid, 5-P-coumaroylquinic acid, caffeoylshikimic acid, feruloylquinic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and glycosylchromone aloeresin B.
Whole Aloe gel is obtained by peeling off the outer skin of the Aloe leaf. Aloe can be applied to skin or blended with water and taken internally.
Aloe is easy to grow in the garden and also grows well indoors. It needs very little water and likes to be in the sun.
More recent research has found that while both the gels from the adult aloe and the baby aloe vera plant can inhibit UVB-damage, gel from the baby aloe plant inhibits UBV-induced cell damage greater than the adult aloe gel.
REFERENCES
Capasso R, Laudato M, Borrelli F. Meeting report: First National Meeting on Aloe, April 20-21, 2013, Isernia, Italy. New perspectives in Aloe research: from basic science to clinical application. Nat Prod Commun. 2013 Sep;8(9):1333-4.
Popadic D, Savic E, Ramic Z, Djordjevic V, Trajkovic V, Medenica L, Popadic S. Aloe-emodin inhibits proliferation of adult human keratinocytes in vitro. J Cosmet Sci. 2012 Sep-Oct;63(5):297-302.
Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Final report on the safety assessment of AloeAndongensis Extract, Aloe Andongensis Leaf Juice,aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Juice, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Protoplasts, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice,aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Aloe Ferox Leaf Extract, Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice, and Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice Extract. Int J Toxicol. 2007;26 Suppl 2:1-50.
Saini M, Goyal PK, Chaudhary G. Anti-tumor activity of Aloe vera against DMBA/croton oil-induced skin papillomagenesis in Swiss albino mice. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2010;29(2):127-35.
Kumar S, Matharasi DP, Gopi S, Sivakumar S, Narasimhan S. Synthesis of cytotoxic and antioxidant Schiff's base analogs of aloin. J Asian Nat Prod Res. 2010 May;12(5):360-70. doi: 10.1080/10286021003775327.
Jeon W, Jeon YK, Nam MJ. Apoptosis by aloe-emodin is mediated through down-regulation of calpain-2 and ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A in human hepatoma Huh-7 cells. Cell Biol Int. 2012 Feb;36(2):163-7.
Suboj P, Babykutty S, Srinivas P, Gopala S. Aloe emodin induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via activation of caspase-6 in human colon cancer cells. Pharmacology. 2012;89(1-2):91-8. doi: 10.1159/000335659.
Chen YY, Chiang SY, Lin JG, Yang JS, Ma YS, Liao CL, Lai TY, Tang NY, Chung JG. Emodin, aloe-emodin and rhein induced DNA damage and inhibited DNA repair gene expression in SCC-4 human tongue cancer cells. Anticancer Res. 2010 Mar;30(3):945-51.
Yuan YF, Hu XY, He Y, Deng JG. Synthesis and anti-tumor activity evaluation of rhein-aloe emodin hybrid molecule. Nat Prod Commun. 2012 Feb;7(2):207-10.
Tabolacci C, Oliverio S, Lentini A, Rossi S, Galbiati A, Montesano C, Mattioli P, Provenzano B, Facchiano F, Beninati S. Aloe-emodin as antiproliferative and differentiating agent on human U937 monoblastic leukemia cells. Life Sci. 2011 Nov 21;89(21-22):812-20. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2011.09.008.
Korać RR, Khambholja KM. Potential of herbs in skin protection from ultraviolet radiation. Pharmacogn Rev. 2011 Jul;5(10):164-73.