Safety studies conducted on a proprietary high-purity aloe vera inner leaf fillet preparation, Qmatrix.

The aloe vera plant has a long history of safe use for oral and topical applications. This publication describes safety studies conducted on a proprietary high-purity aloe vera inner leaf fillet preparation, Qmatrix. In a 13-week study in rats, Qmatrix was administered via gavage at 0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day. There were no significant changes in food or water consumption, body weight, serum biochemistry or hematology at any of the doses tested. Sporadic, significant increases were observed in some of the measured urinalysis parameters; however, these variations were not treatment-related, as most were observed only in one sex, not dose-dependent and within historical control values. Organ weights were unaffected, except for a statistically significant, though not dose-dependent, increase in absolute and relative weights of the right kidney in males at 500 and 2000 mg/kg bw/day, respectively. Histopathological analysis revealed no abnormal signs. Qmatrix was non-mutagenic in an Ames test and a chromosomal aberration test at concentrations up to 10,000 microg/plate, and in an in vivo bone marrow micronucleus test at doses up to 5000 mg/kg bw/day. Based on these results, Qmatrix is not genotoxic in vitro or in vivo and; has an oral NOAEL greater than 2000 mg/kg bw/day following 90 days of oral exposure.

The development of a new method to detect the adulteration of commercial aloe gel powders.

Simple and accurate methods to detect the adulteration of commercial aloe gel powder were developed. Crude polysaccharide in aloe gel powder was isolated by precipitating with excess ethyl alcohol and total hexose in isolated polysaccharide was determined by Dubois assay. After hydrolysis of non-dialysable polysaccharides, resultant free sugar was determined by gas chromatography for sugar recognition and ash contents was considered simultaneously. In some products, the content of ash was very low while the content of total hexose was very high. And polysaccharides of these products revealed typical dextran pattern, therefore, these products could be identified that adulterated with commercial maltodextrin. The content of maltodextrin in adulterated product was determined by HPLC and TLC analysis which could be adopted as a part of a certification process.

Inhibitory mechanism of aloe single component (alprogen) on mediator release in guinea pig lung mast cells activated with specific antigen-antibody reactions.

We previously reported that the glycoprotein extracted from aloe strongly inhibited the mediator releases caused by the activation of guinea pig lung mast cells. Therefore, this study aimed to purify a single component that has an antiallergic effect from crude aloe extract and then to assess the effects of aloe single component (alprogen) on the mechanism of mediator releases caused by the mast cell activation. We purified aloe extracts by using various columns. We also purified mast cells from guinea pig lung tissues by using enzyme digestion, rough and discontinuous density Percoll gradient. Mast cells were sensitized with IgG(1) (anti-ovalbumin) and challenged with ovalbumin. Histamine was assayed by using a fluorometric analyzer and leukotrienes by radioimmunoassay. [Ca(2+)](i) level was analyzed by using a confocal laser scanning microscope. Protein kinase activity was determined by the protein phosphorylated with [gamma-(32)P]ATP. The phospholipase D activity was assessed by the labeled phosphatidylalcohol. The amount of mass 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) was measured by the [(3)H]DAG produced when prelabeled with [(3)H]myristic acid. Phospholipase A(2) activity was determined by measuring the lyso-phosphatidylcholine released from the labeled phospholipids. Alprogen significantly decreased histamine and leukotriene releases and blocked completely Ca(2+) influx during mast cell activation. The protein kinase C and phospholipase D activities were decreased by alprogen in dose-dependent manner. Alprogen inhibited mass DAG formation and the phospholipase A(2) activity during mast cell activation. The data suggest that alprogen purified from aloe inhibits multiple signals as well as blocking Ca(2+) influx caused by mast cells activated with specific antigen-antibody reactions and that then the inhibition of histamine and leukotriene release follows.