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SECTION2
ALOEVERAL.
•Vernacularname
aloe
12/1
•Description
AloeveraL.,familyAsphodelaceae–amemberofAloe,agenusofxerophytes.Tick-
leavedperennialherb,upto1.5m,rootingfromathickrhizome.Stemscapose.Leaves
coatedwithawaxyepidermis,basal,15–60cm,linearwithapointedapex,margins
withsoftspines(seeAppendix2).Flowersinracemes(seeFig.3c),yellow,c.30mm,
pedicelreflexed(seeFig.3b).Capsulec.15mm,3-angled(seeAppendix3).
•Distribution
TroughoutArabia,inthefoothillsandwadis.Alsodistributedintropicaland
subtropicalregionsoftheworld.
•Floweringandfruiting
Moreorlessthroughouttheyear.
•Chemicalcomposition
Leavesareasourceofmucilaginouspolysaccharidegelcomprisingpecticsubstances
togetherwitharangeoforganicandinorganiccompounds,muchusedincosmetics.
Acrystallineanthraceneglycoside(seeTable3a)presentintheplantisreportedto
havepurgativereactions.
•Medicinaluses
Leavesandfleshofleavesareusedfortreatmentoffever,headachesandinflamed
orswolleneyes.Someherbalistsalsoclaimthealoegel(astickysubstancethatoozes
outwhenyoubreakopenaleafandsqueezeit)canreduceitchinganduseittorelieve
poisonivy.Scientistshavefoundoutthataloebreaksdowndeadtissueinawound
andhelpsregeneratenewtissue,speedingthehealingofburns.Italsohelpsrepairskin
damagedbycoldorfrostbite.ResearchersatthePennsylvaniaCollegeofPaediatric
Medicinefoundoutthattheapplicationofaspecialcremeofaloereducedarthritis
inflammation.DriedleavesofAloeveraareusedasapurgative.
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