Beneficial effects of <i>Aloe</i> in wound healing

Abstract

Abstract The therapeutic effects of Aloe vera have been examined in preventing progressive dermal ischaemia caused by burns, frostbite, electrical injury, distal dying flap and intra‐arterial drug abuse. In vivo analysis of these injuries showed that the mediator of progressive tissue damage was thromboxane A 2 (TxA 2 ). Experimentally Aloe was compared to a variety of antithromboxane agents to include U38450, a lodoxamide, a lazaroid and Carrington wound gel. In the burn injury Aloe was comparable to the lodoxamide and lazaroid with an 82% to 85% tissue survival when compared with the control and the Carrington wound gel ( p =0.05). Tissue survival in the experimental frostbite injury was 28.2% when compared with the control ( p =0.05). Similar results were obtained for the electrical injury, and intra‐arterial drug abuse. Clinically burn patients treated with Aloe healed without tissue loss as did those with frostbite ( p =0.001). In the intra‐arterial drug abuse patients Aloe reversed the tissue necrosis. This therapeutic approach was used to prevent progressive tissue loss in each injury by actively inhibiting the localized production of TxA 2 . Aloe not only acts as a TxA 2 inhibitor but maintains a homeostasis within the vascular endothelium as well as the surrounding tissue.