Medicinal Plant Virtual Tour - TREE ALOE

Aloe ferox        |        Xanthorrhoeaceae       |       tree aloe

Medicinal Properties:

This aloe is a common ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine. Two components used medicinally are the mucilaginous leaf gel from the center of the leaf, and the resin, collected by evaporating the latex from the pericyclic cells beneath the epidermis. The leaf gel has moisturizing, antioxidant, antifungal and antimicrobial components. Bradykininase is a chemical component that relieves pain and decreases swelling and redness. For these reasons it is assists in the healing of skin abrasions and wounds. The latex contains anthraquinone glycosides with strong cathartic effects. These are important components in several laxatives. Aloe ferox latex is sustainably harvested in South Aftrica where it is native. Aloes have also been found effective as antihyperglycemics and hypoglycemic in experimental animals, due in part to glucomannan, a hydrosoluble fiber found in the leaf gel.

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Additional Resources to Explore:

• Link to the Campus Arboretum Species Description page
• Link to the Campus Arboretum Medicinal Plants page (for booklet, self-guided campus tours, or docent led tour information)