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Some of the most common names for Aloe Vera are aloe, burn plant, lily of the desert, elephant's gall. Many ancient civilizations used this plant for multiple purposes. "Aloe vera's use can be traced back 6,000 years to early Egypt, where the plant was depicted on stone carvings" ( Hamman , 2008). Known as the "plant of immortality, " aloe was presented as a burial gift to deceased pharaohs. Historically, aloe was used typically to heal wounds and for various skin conditions, and orally as a laxative. Today, in addition to these uses, aloe is used as a folk or traditional remedy for a variety of conditions, including diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, and osteoarthritis. It is also used for osteoarthritis, burns, sunburns, and psoriasis. Aloe vera gel can be found in hundreds of skin products, including lotions and sunblock's. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved aloe Vera as a natural food flavoring.
Discussion.
Chemical Composition of Aloe Vera .
Aloe Vera contains 75 potentially active constituents: vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids and amino acids (Moghaddasi, 2011). The fact that this plant contains so many active components has made it very appealing for commercial use. The plant has many uses due to its existing components. The mix of chemical components in Aloe allows it to treat both internal and external conditions. .
Medicinal Uses of Aloe Vera.
Aloe Vera has both internal and external uses that have been proven in clinical trials. Some of the primary uses of this plant are the treatment of mild to moderate burns, genital herpes, seborhimmic dermatitis among other skin conditions ( Shelton, 1991). Similar to cocoa butter, which has the ability to reduce the extent of skin damage, Aloe carries the same effect. According to scientific studies Aloe contains a mannose rich polysaccharide as well as the growth hormone gibberellin, which in combination accelerate collagen synthesis ( Hamman 2008).