Aloe vera

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Aloe vera is a desert succulent plant, which produces a soothing gel used to calm skin pain and nerve flares. The gel is extracted from the leaves of the plant and is often included in cosmetics and topical creams. Aloe vera is used in traditional medicine as a skin treatment.

It is a component of the Cusack Protocol, a proposed alternative treatment for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Components[edit | edit source]

Aloe contains more than 75 potential active components including vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids and amino acids.[1]

Applications[edit | edit source]

Tissue healing[edit | edit source]

Aloe’s tissue-healing properties are thought to come from its rich polysaccharide content. Mannose-rich aloe polysaccharides, like glucomannan and acemmanan, along with gibberellin, a growth hormone, interact with growth factor receptors on fibroblasts, a type of cell that synthesizes collagen and extracellular matrix. This has been found to significantly increase collagen synthesis in in vitro and in vivo animal studies,[2][3][4][5] and in in vitro human studies.[6] Aloe polysaccharides may also promote fibroblast proliferation.[4][5][7] Acemannan has been found in animal studies to increase expression of bone matrix protein-2[8] and accelerate bone formation.[9]

Other applications[edit | edit source]

Applied to the skin, aloe vera has been used to prevent UV damage. It also has anti-inflammatory, immune modulating, and antiviral effects.[1]

Cusack Protocol[edit | edit source]

The Cusack Protocol, which was devised for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, requires 100% fractionally distilled aloe vera or aloe vera juice capsules, or maitake mushrooms.[10][11]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Surjushe, Amar; Vasani, Resham; Saple, D G (2008). "ALOE VERA: A SHORT REVIEW". Indian Journal of Dermatology. 53 (4): 163–166. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.44785. ISSN 0019-5154. PMC 2763764. PMID 19882025.
  2. ↑ Chithra, P.; Sajithlal, G.B.; Chandrakasan, G. (April 1998). "Influence of Aloe vera on collagen characteristics in healing dermal wounds in rats". Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. 181 (1–2): 71–76. doi:10.1023/a:1006813510959. ISSN 0300-8177. PMID 9562243.
  3. ↑ Heggers, J.P.; Kucukcelebi, A.; Listengarten, D.; Stabenau, J.; Ko, F.; Broemeling, L.D.; Robson, M.C.; Winters, W.D. (1996). "Beneficial effect of Aloe on wound healing in an excisional wound model". Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.). 2 (2): 271–277. doi:10.1089/acm.1996.2.271. ISSN 1075-5535. PMID 9395659.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Atiba, Ayman; Nishimura, Mayumi; Kakinuma, Shizuko; Hiraoka, Takeshi; Goryo, Masanobu; Shimada, Yoshiya; Ueno, Hiroshi; Uzuka, Yuji (June 1, 2011). "Aloe vera oral administration accelerates acute radiation-delayed wound healing by stimulating transforming growth factor-β and fibroblast growth factor production". The American Journal of Surgery. 201 (6): 809–818. doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2010.06.017. ISSN 0002-9610.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Thunyakitpisal, Pasutha; Banlunara, Wijit; Sangvanich, Polkit; Sasithanasate, Siriruk; Jettanacheawchankit, Suwimon (2009). "Acemannan Stimulates Gingival Fibroblast Proliferation; Expressions of Keratinocyte Growth Factor-1, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, and Type I Collagen; and Wound Healing". Journal of Pharmacological Sciences. 109 (4): 525–531. doi:10.1254/jphs.08204FP. ISSN 1347-8613.
  6. ↑ Jiang, Q.; Wu, B.Y.; Chen, X.D.; Liu, L.Y. (March 2010). "[Influence of Aloe polysaccharide on proliferation and hyaluronic acid and hydroxyproline secretion of human fibroblasts in vitro]". Zhong xi yi jie he xue bao = Journal of Chinese integrative medicine. 8 (3): 256–262. doi:10.3736/jcim20100310. ISSN 1672-1977. PMID 20226148.
  7. ↑ Yao, Hong; Chen, Yan; Li, Shaoguang; Huang, Liying; Chen, Wei; Lin, Xinhua (August 1, 2009). "Promotion proliferation effect of a polysaccharide from Aloe barbadensis Miller on human fibroblasts in vitro". International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 45 (2): 152–156. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2009.04.013. ISSN 0141-8130.
  8. ↑ Thunyakitpisal, Pasutha Din; Sangvanich, Polkit; Lardungdee, Peechanika; Jettanacheawchankit, Suwimon; Jittapiromsak, Nawaporn (2007). "Effect of Acemannan on BMP-2 Expression in Primary Pulpal Fibroblasts And Periodontal Fibroblasts, in vitro Study". Journal of Oral Tissue Engineering. 4 (3): 149–154. doi:10.11223/jarde.4.149. ISSN 1348-9623.
  9. ↑ Boonyagul, Sani; Banlunara, Wijit; Sangvanich, Polkit; Thunyakitpisal, Pasutha (July 2014). "Effect of acemannan, an extracted polysaccharide from Aloe vera, on BMSCs proliferation, differentiation, extracellular matrix synthesis, mineralization, and bone formation in a tooth extraction model". Odontology. 102 (2): 310–317. doi:10.1007/s10266-012-0101-2. ISSN 1618-1255. PMID 23315202.
  10. ↑ Cusack, Deborah. "What Works?". EDS and Polysaccharides. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  11. ↑ Ehlers-Danlos Support Wilmington (March 10, 2016). "Cusack Protocol (slides)". facebook.com.
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