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Aloe vera and wound healing: a brief review

Abstract

Aloe vera possesses a great therapeutic importance in traditional medicine. It has attracted the attention of modern medical fields due to its wide pharmacological applications. The bioactive substances in Aloe vera proved to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Taken into our consideration the long history of clinical applications of Aloe vera in traditional medicine, especially for promoting the healing of cutaneous wounds with rare adverse effects, it provides a cheap alternative to many expensive synthetic drugs. Recent techniques in tissue engineering created novel scaffolds based on Aloe gel extracts for wound healing applications. Nonetheless, further guided researche is required to foster the development of Aloe vera based scaffolds for the benefit of worldwide populations. Here, I systemically summarize the main events following wounding and the mechanism of action of Aloe vera in promoting the healing process. I hope to provide a solid piece of information that might be helpful for designing new research studies into this topic.

Keywords:
Wound phases; Aloe vera; Wound healing; Mechanism of action; Bioactive substances

INTRODUCTION

Mammalian skin serves as a protective physical barrier against mechanical and chemical injuries, as well as microbial invasion (Plotczyk, Higgins, 2019Plotczyk M, Higgins CA. Skin biology. In: Biomaterials for Skin Repair and Regeneration. Elsevier. 2019. p. 3-25.). The loss of skin integrity requires rapid and efficient amendments of the ruptured tissue to maintain body homeostasis, in a process known as wound healing (Rittié, 2016Rittié L. Cellular mechanisms of skin repair in humans and other mammals. J Cell Commun Signal. 2016;10(2):103-20.; Sorg et al., 2017Sorg H, Tilkorn DJ, Hager S, Hauser J, Mirastschijski U. Skin wound healing: an update on the current knowledge and concepts. Eur Surg Res. 2017;58(1-2):81-94.). The healing of a skin wound is a complicated and dynamic process necessitating integrative reactions of multiple structures, mediators, and cell lines (Rodrigues et al., 2019Rodrigues M, Kosaric N, Bonham CA, Gurtner GC. Wound healing: a cellular perspective. Physiol Rev. 2019;99(1):665-706.). Wounds may result from several conditions including skin injuries, burns, accidents, surgery, arterial disease and trauma. They can be broadly categorized into acute and chronic wounds (Hughes et al., 2017Hughes O, MacQuhae F, Rakosi A, Herskovitz I, Kirsner RS. Stress and wound healing. In: Stress and Skin Disorders. Springer. 2017. p. 185-207.).

All wounds could be considered acute at the advent of injury, regardless of cause (Whitney, 2005Whitney JD. Overview: acute and chronic wounds. Nurs Clin. 2005;40(2):191-205.). Wound closure taking place in a predictable and acceptable amount of time characterizes acute wounds, and it restores the structural and functional integrity of the skin at a definite time. In contrary, chronic wounds occur when the healing trajectory is disrupted and doesn’t follow an expected time course, hence the entire process is delayed (Galea, 2018Galea E. Moving the chronic wound along the healing trajectory. Wounds Asia. 2018;1(2):39 - 43.). The main objective of wound treatment is to accelerate the closure rate of a wound as much as possible with minimal pain, anxiety and scarring. Thus, continuously exploring new innovative interventions will pave the way for a better quality of life for patients who suffer wounds. Moreover, it will lower the total cost of wound -related health maintenance (Teplicki et al., 2018Teplicki E, Ma Q, Castillo DE, Zarei M, Hustad AP, Chen J, et al. The Effects of Aloe vera on Wound Healing in Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Viability. Wounds a Compend Clin Res Pract. 2018;30(9):263-8.).

PHASES OF WOUND HEALING

The mechanism underlying the healing process involves cellular, subcellular, physiological, and biochemical events which act together to repair injuries (Velnar, Bailey, Smrkolj, 2009Velnar T, Bailey T, Smrkolj V. The wound healing process: an overview of the cellular and molecular mechanisms. J Int Med Res. 2009;37(5):1528-42.; Goldberg, Diegelmann 2017Goldberg SR, Diegelmann RF. Basic Science of Wound Healing. In: Critical Limb Ischemia. Springer; 2017. p. 131-6.; Teplicki et al., 2018Teplicki E, Ma Q, Castillo DE, Zarei M, Hustad AP, Chen J, et al. The Effects of Aloe vera on Wound Healing in Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Viability. Wounds a Compend Clin Res Pract. 2018;30(9):263-8.). It involves three main intersecting phases: inflammatory, proliferative, and tissue remodeling (Gonzalez et al., 2016Gonzalez ACO, Costa TF, Andrade ZA, Medrado ARAP. Wound healing-A literature review. An Bras Dermatol. 2016;91(5):614-20.; Han, Ceilley, 2017Han G, Ceilley R. Chronic wound healing: a review of current management and treatments. Adv Ther. 2017;34(3):599-610.), (Figure 1). In normal conditions, these phases aren’t discrete. However, in cases of initiation due to physical injury, they must continue to the end in order for complete healing to be acheived (Richardson, 2004Richardson M. Acute wounds: an overview of the physiological healing process. Nurs Times. 2004;100(4):50-3.).

FIGURE 1
Normal wound Phases and main events included.

The inflammatory phase

The inflammatory phase immediately follows the wounding incidence, and it takes approximately four days (Coger et al., 2019Coger V, Million N, Rehbock C, Sures B, Nachev M, Barcikowski S, et al. Tissue concentrations of zinc, iron, copper, and magnesium during the phases of full thickness wound healing in a rodent model. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2019;191(1):167-76.). It mainly fulfills two main goals. The first is to maintain tissue hemostasis, which this could be achieved by contraction of the smooth muscle cells, closure of the ruptured large blood vessels, and accumulation of platelets to thrombose the smaller damaged vessels (Nurden, 2018Nurden AT. The biology of the platelet with special reference to inflammation, wound healing and immunity. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2018;23:726-51.). The second goal is to rid the wound of contaminants, bacteria and other unfavorable debris (Landén, Li, Ståhle, 2016Landén NX, Li D, Ståhle M. Transition from inflammation to proliferation: a critical step during wound healing. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2016;73(20):3861-85.). Instantly after wound incidence polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils) migrate from the adjoining microvasculature and act to accomplish this mission. Neutrophils seem to be short-lived cells and undergo apoptosis after a few hours at the site of injuries. Nevertheless, some scientist assumed that neutrophil behavior is more sophisticated and that they may migrate back into the nearby vasculature (de Oliveira, Rosowski, Huttenlocher, 2016de Oliveira S, Rosowski EE, Huttenlocher A. Neutrophil migration in infection and wound repair: going forward in reverse. Nat Rev Immunol. 2016;16(6):378.). Another type of cell called (macrophages), appears at the wounding site approximately two days post-injury (Hesketh et al., 2017Hesketh M, Sahin KB, West ZE, Murray RZ. Macrophage phenotypes regulate scar formation and chronic wound healing. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(7):1545.). These type of cells acts to remove necrotic tissue and phagocytizing bacteria and foreign debris (Goldberg, Diegelmann, 2017Goldberg SR, Diegelmann RF. Basic Science of Wound Healing. In: Critical Limb Ischemia. Springer; 2017. p. 131-6.). Moreover, macrophages initiates two crucial events in the healing process; namely angiogenesis and fibroplasia (Gonzalez et al., 2016Gonzalez ACO, Costa TF, Andrade ZA, Medrado ARAP. Wound healing-A literature review. An Bras Dermatol. 2016;91(5):614-20.). These events are mediated by cytokines released by the activated macrophages (Minutti et al., 2017Minutti CM, Knipper JA, Allen JE, Zaiss DMW. Tissue-specific contribution of macrophages to wound healing. In: Seminars in cell & developmental biology. Elsevier. 2017. p. 3-11.). Angiogenesis begins three days post-injury and is a prerequisite to provide the metabolic requirements of the healing process, while collagen synthesis and fibroplasia occur by the third to the fifth-day post-wounding (Hanna, Giacopelli, 1997Hanna JR, Giacopelli JA. A review of wound healing and wound dressing products. J foot ankle Surg. 1997;36(1):2-14.).

The proliferative phase

The proliferative phase may last as long as three weeks post-injury. The activated macrophages mediate the release of fibroblast stimulating factors and angiogenesis factors (AGF) (Delavary et al., 2011Delavary BM, van der Veer WM, van Egmond M, Niessen FB, Beelen RHJ. Macrophages in skin injury and repair. Immunobiology. 2011;216(7):753-62.; Landén, Li, Ståhle, 2016Landén NX, Li D, Ståhle M. Transition from inflammation to proliferation: a critical step during wound healing. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2016;73(20):3861-85.). Fibroblast stimulating factors promote the proliferation of fibroblasts, which plays an essential role in the proliferative phase. In turn, the fibroblasts produce collagen and proteoglycans (Tracy, Minasian, Caterson, 2016Tracy LE, Minasian RA, Caterson EJ. Extracellular matrix and dermal fibroblast function in the healing wound. Adv wound care. 2016;5(3):119-36.). AGF promote the growth of the new blood vessels and capillary buds (Oike et al., 2004Oike Y, Ito Y, Maekawa H, Morisada T, Kubota Y, Akao M, et al. Angiopoietin-related growth factor (AGF) promotes angiogenesis. Blood. 2004;103(10):3760-5.). The neovasculature together with the collagen and proteoglycans constitute the granulation tissue which, fills the wounded defects (Teller, White, 2011Teller P, White TK. The physiology of wound healing: injury through maturation. Perioper Nurs Clin. 2011;6(2):159-70.). The synthesis of collagen increases wound tensile strength (Panchatcharam et al., 2006Panchatcharam M, Miriyala S, Gayathri VS, Suguna L. Curcumin improves wound healing by modulating collagen and decreasing reactive oxygen species. Mol Cell Biochem. 2006;290(1-2):87-96.; Darby et al., 2014Darby IA, Laverdet B, Bonté F, Desmoulière A. Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in wound healing. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2014;7:301.). The borders of the wound come closer to each other due to the contraction of the wound, decreasing the wounded area. This process is mediated by a distinct type of fibroblast that have a contractile nature known as myofibroblasts (Li, Wang, 2011Li B, Wang JH-C. Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in wound healing: force generation and measurement. J Tissue Viability. 2011;20(4):108-20.). The proliferative phase also includes the re-epithelization process, in which the surrounding epithelial cells actively divide and migrate over the granulation tissue to link both edges of the wound (Rousselle, Braye, Dayan, 2019Rousselle P, Braye F, Dayan G. Re-epithelialization of adult skin wounds: cellular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2019;146:344-65.). The re-epithelization process is critical in wound closure as the newly generated epithelial tissue acts as a physical barrier blocking contaminant and microbial invasions from the external environment and precluding body fluid leaks. The wound closure rate is directly affected by wound size as larger defects require more time to close because migrating epithelial cells have to travel longer distances to link both edges (Taniguchi, Matsumoto-Oda, 2018Taniguchi H, Matsumoto-Oda A. Wound healing in wild male baboons: Estimating healing time from wound size. PLoS One. 2018;13(10):e0205017.). Moreover, the moist wound surface facilitates epithelial cell migration, while, dry surface inhibits epithelial cell migration (Hamman, 2008Hamman JH. Composition and applications of Aloe vera leaf gel. Molecules. 2008;13(8):1599-616.). Hence, the primary goal of new wound dressing compounds is to provide a humid microenvironment for the wound to facilitate re-epithelization (Chiaula et al., 2019Chiaula V, Mazurek P, Nielsen AC, Skov AL. Advanced wound care adhesives with improved moisture handling capabilities. In: 2019 Science of Adhesion Conference GRC: Adhesion and Friction in Extreme Conditions and Translation to Practical Applications. 2019.; Weller, Team, 2019Weller C, Team V. Interactive dressings and their role in moist wound management. In: Advanced textiles for wound care. Elsevier. 2019. p. 105-34.).

The remodeling phase

The remodeling or maturation phase is the final step in the healing process. It begins approximately three weeks post-wounding and may last for more than one year (Gonzalez et al., 2016Gonzalez ACO, Costa TF, Andrade ZA, Medrado ARAP. Wound healing-A literature review. An Bras Dermatol. 2016;91(5):614-20.). In this phase, the production of collagen by fibroblasts is continued. Collagenases are a group of enzymes secreted during this phase, which act to re-organize collagen bundles in a parallel arrangement, and lysis the collagen bundles produced during the proliferative phase (Qing, 2017Qing C. The molecular biology in wound healing & non-healing wound. Chinese J Traumatol. 2017;20(4):189-93.). The closure of the wounded area and a gradual increase in tensile strength still progress in this phase. The ultimate strength of a healed wound depends on the quantity of collagen biosynthesis and the extent of crosslinking between neighboring collagen bundles. At the end of the maturation phase, the wound reaches maximal tensile strength, which is typically 80% of the strength of the original uninjured cutaneous tissue (Bowden et al., 2016Bowden LG, Byrne HM, Maini PK, Moulton DE. A morphoelastic model for dermal wound closure. Biomech Model Mechanobiol. 2016;15(3):663-81.).

Generally, wounds heal in a timeframe of four to six weeks. However, chronic wounds fail to heal within this period. Several factors can impair the healing process including; diabetes, hypoxia, ischemia, bacterial infection, collagen synthesis defects, malnutrition, smoking, and dehydration (Wallace, Basehore, Zito, 2020Wallace HA, Basehore BM, Zito PM. Wound Healing Phases. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing, Treasure Island (FL); 2020. PMID: 29262065.).

Aloe vera history and its clinical relevance

Aloe vera is a perennial succulent plant that belongs to the family Liliaceae. More than 400 species have been identified in this family (Sánchez-Machado et al., 2017Sánchez-Machado DI, López-Cervantes J, Sendón R, Sanches-Silva A. Aloe vera: Ancient knowledge with new frontiers. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2017;61:94-102.). This xerophytic herbaceous plant developed an ability to store water in the tissue of leaves, hence it is indigenous to arid subtropical and tropical regions. It has characteristic short stem, and fleshy leaves with lance shaped apex, tapered end, and serrate margin (Steenkamp, Stewart, 2007Steenkamp V, Stewart MJ. Medicinal applications and toxicological activities of Aloe. Products. Pharm Biol. 2007;45(5):411-20.). Two main products are produced from these plants; the aloe gel and yellow latex (aloe juice). Aloe gel, is extracted from the core leaf pulp present in the innermost part and is composed of parenchymal cells which act to store water and other nutrients. The Aloe juice is a yellow and better latex, produced from the marginal cells of the leaves (Gupta, Malhotra, 2012Gupta VK, Malhotra S. Pharmacological attribute of Aloe vera: Revalidation through experimental and clinical studies. Ayu. 2012;33(2):193.). Historically, several cultural traditions have considered Aloe vera a potent medicinal plant with therapeutic and cosmetic applications. The clinical applications of Aloe vera are wide and include: ant-inflammation, immunomodulatory, cardiovascular, and antibacterial (Maan et al., 2018Maan AA, Nazir A, Khan MKI, Ahmad T, Zia R, Murid M, et al. The therapeutic properties and applications of aloe vera: a review. J Herb Med. 2018;12:1-10.; Gao et al., 2019Gao Y, Kuok KI, Jin Y, Wang R. Biomedical applications of Aloe vera. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019;59( sup1):S244-56.; Kumar et al., 2019Kumar R, Singh AK, Gupta A, Bishayee A, Pandey AK. Therapeutic potential of Aloe vera-A miracle gift of nature. Phytomedicine . 2019;60:152996.). Furthermore, the healing properties of Aloe vera have been proposed for curing wounds since ancient times. The Pharaohs first used Aloe vera for wound remedy (Yohannes, 2018Yohannes G. Review on medicinal value of Aloe vera in veterinary practice. Biomed J Sci Tech Res. 2018;6(1):4970-4975.; Akbar, 2020Akbar S. Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f.(Asphodelaceae/ Xanthorrhoeaceae). In: Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants. Springer; 2020. p. 187-206.). Other cultures worldwide followed them, such as Chinese, Greek, Spanish, Indian, and Iranian. Aloe vera is well-known for its magnificent healing properties, being called the silent healer or the healing plant (Singh et al., 2018Singh B, Mohan R, Maurya A, Mishra G. Phytoconstituents and biological consequences of: A focused review Aloe vera. Asian J Pharm Pharmacol. 2018;4(1):17-22.; Ibrahim et al., 2019 Ibrahim AM, Al Sadah H, Ahmad R, Ahmad N, Naqvi AA. Clinical Uses and Toxicity of Aloe vera: An Evidence-Based Comprehensive Retrospective Review (2007-2017). Pharmacogn J. 2019;11(2):424-428.)”id”:”ITEM-1”,”issue”:”2”,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2019”]]},”ti tle”:”Clinical Uses and Toxicity of Aloe vera: An Evidence-Based Comprehensive Retrospective Review (2007-2017. Many studies demonstrated that the benefits of Aloe vera are always associated with high polysaccharide content (Minjares-Fuentes, Femenia, 2017Minjares-Fuentes JR, Femenia A. Effect of processing on the bioactive polysaccharides and phenolic compounds from Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller). Diet Fibre Funct Food Nutraceuticals From Plant to Gut. 2017.; Chen et al., 2019Chen H, Nie Q, Hu J, Huang X, Zhang K, Nie S. Glucomannans alleviated the progression of diabetic kidney disease by improving kidney metabolic disturbance. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019;63(12):1801008.; Soares et al., 2019Soares EJ, Siqueira RN, Leal LM, Barbosa KCO, Cipriano DF, Freitas JCC. The role played by the aging of aloe vera on its drag reduction properties in turbulent flows. J Nonnewton Fluid Mech. 2019;265:1-10.). Recent studies showed that Aloe vera extract triggers the proliferation of several cell lines and accelerates the wound closure in both standard and diabetic rats (Atiba, Ueno, Uzuka, 2011Atiba A, Ueno H, Uzuka Y. The effect of aloe vera oral administration on cutaneous wound healing in type 2 diabetic rats. J Vet Med Sci. 2011;73(5):583-589.; Galehdari et al., 2016Galehdari H, Negahdari S, Kesmati M, Rezaie A, Shariati G. Effect of the herbal mixture composed of Aloe Vera, Henna, Adiantum capillus-veneris, and Myrrha on wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016;16(1):1-9.; Mohi-Eldin, Allaam, 2017Mohi-Eldin MM, Allaam AA. Clinical and Pathological Assessment of Aloe Vera and Propolis for Wound Healing in Normal and Diabetic Albino Rats. Zagazig Vet J. 2017;45(4):314-25.; Gao et al. 2019Gao Y, Kuok KI, Jin Y, Wang R. Biomedical applications of Aloe vera. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019;59( sup1):S244-56.; Abdel-Mohsen et al., 2020Abdel-Mohsen AM, Frankova J, Abdel-Rahman RM, Salem AA, Sahffie NM, Kubena I, et al. Chitosan-Glucan Complex Hollow Fibers Reinforced Collagen Wound Dressing Embedded with Aloe vera. II. Multifunctional Properties to Promote Cutaneous Wound Healing. Int J Pharm. 2020;582:119349.).

Chemical composition of Aloe vera

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that can store a huge amount of water in its inner tissue, hence water contributes approximately 99 to 99.5% of its chemical constituents (Kumar et al., 2019Kumar R, Singh AK, Gupta A, Bishayee A, Pandey AK. Therapeutic potential of Aloe vera-A miracle gift of nature. Phytomedicine . 2019;60:152996.). The remaining part consists of a wide range of fat and water-soluble components including minerals, amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, polysaccharides, phenols, sterols and additional organic compounds (Boudreau, Beland, 2006Boudreau MD, Beland FA. An evaluation of the biological and toxicological properties of Aloe barbadensis (miller), Aloe vera. J Environ Sci Heal Part C. 2006;24(1):103-54.; Hashemi, Madani, Abediankenari, 2015Hashemi SA, Madani SA, Abediankenari S. The review on properties of Aloe vera in healing of cutaneous wounds. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:714216.). Aloe gel is comprised of about 55% polysaccharides, 17% sugars, 16% minerals, 7% amino acids, 4% fatty acids, and 1% phenolic compounds. The major components of the yellow bitter latex are anthraquinones and glycosides (Rahman, Carter, Bhattarai, 2017Rahman S, Carter P, Bhattarai N. Aloe vera for tissue engineering applications. J Funct Biomater. 2017;8(1):6.). The chemical constituents of the Aloe vera plant vary according to the species, climatic conditions, and the growth environment (Klein, Penneys, 1988Klein AD, Penneys NS. Aloe vera. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1988;18(4):714-20.). It has been postulated that the heterogeneous composition of Aloe vera gel perhaps contributes to its therapeutic and pharmacological properties (Talmadge et al., 2004Talmadge J, Chavez J, Jacobs L, Munger C, Chinnah T, Chow JT, et al. Fractionation of Aloe vera L. inner gel, purification and molecular profiling of activity. Int Immunopharmacol. 2004;4(14):1757-73.; Hamman, 2008Hamman JH. Composition and applications of Aloe vera leaf gel. Molecules. 2008;13(8):1599-616.). More than 240 bioactive substances with medicinal and nutritional properties were identified in the Aloe vera leaves (Singh et al. 2019Singh N, Iqbal Z, Ansari TA, Khan MA, Ali N, Khan A, et al. The portent plant with a purpose: Aloe vera. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2019;8(3):4124-30.). The main chemical constituents and their recognized biological activities are listed in (Figure 2).

FIGURE 2
Aloe vera bioactive ingredients and its biological activities.

Aloe vera and wound healing

In traditional medicine, Aloe vera had been considered a healing plant acting to accelerate the closure rate of a wound. The usage of Aloe vera as skin curative acts also to reduces the severity of mucocutaneous problems including gingivitis (Al-Maweri et al., 2020Al-Maweri SA, Nassani MZ, Alaizari N, Kalakonda B, Al-Shamiri HM, Alhajj MN, et al. Efficacy of aloe vera mouthwash versus chlorhexidine on plaque and gingivitis: a systematic review. Int J Dent Hyg. 2020;18(1):44-51.)”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”18”},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=2bb55554-8178-46c3-8824-5d81bd6d7402”]}],”mendeley”:{“forma ttedCitation”:”(Al-Maweri et al. 2020Al-Maweri SA, Nassani MZ, Alaizari N, Kalakonda B, Al-Shamiri HM, Alhajj MN, et al. Efficacy of aloe vera mouthwash versus chlorhexidine on plaque and gingivitis: a systematic review. Int J Dent Hyg. 2020;18(1):44-51., oral submucosa fibrosis (Al-Maweri et al., 2019Al-Maweri SA, Ashraf S, Lingam AS, Alqutaibi A, Abdulrab S, Alaizari N, et al. Aloe vera in treatment of oral submucous fibrosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Oral Pathol Med. 2019;48(2):99-107.), vaginal atrophy in menopausal women (Palacios, Mejía, Neyro, 2015Palacios S, Mejía A, Neyro JL. Treatment of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Climacteric. 2015;18( sup1):23-9.), and mucosa damage induced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy (Sahebnasagh et al., 2017Sahebnasagh A, Ghasemi A, Akbari J, Alipour A, Lashkardoost H, Ala S, et al. Successful treatment of acute radiation proctitis with aloe vera: a preliminary randomized controlled clinical trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2017;23(11):858-65.; Alkhouli, Laflouf, Alhaddad, 2021Alkhouli M, Laflouf M, Alhaddad M. Efficacy of aloe-vera use for prevention of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Compr child Adolesc Nurs. 2021;44(1):49-62.). The mechanism of action of Aloe vera on promote the wound healing has been extensively studied on experimental animals (Bunyapraphatsara et al., 1996Bunyapraphatsara N, Jirakulchaiwong S, Thirawarapan S, Manonukul J. The efficacy of Aloe vera cream in the treatment of first, second and third degree burns in mice. Phytomedicine. 1996;2(3):247-51.; Choi et al., 2001Choi S, Son B, Son Y, Park Y, Lee S, Chung M. The wound-healing effect of a glycoprotein fraction isolated from aloe vera. Br J Dermatol. 2001;145(4):535-45.; Choi, Chung, 2003Choi S, Chung M-H. A review on the relationship between Aloe vera components and their biologic effects. In: Seminars in integrative medicine. Elsevier. 2003. p. 53-62.; Mendonça et al., 2009Mendonça FAS, Passarini Junior JR, Esquisatto MAM, Mendonça JS, Franchini CC, Santos GMT dos. Effects of the application of Aloe vera (L.) and microcurrent on the healing of wounds surgically induced in Wistar rats. Acta Cirúrgica Bras. 2009;24(2):150-5.; Oryan et al., 2016Oryan A, Mohammadalipour A, Moshiri A, Tabandeh MR. Topical application of Aloe vera accelerated wound healing, modeling, and remodeling: an experimental study. Ann Plast Surg. 2016;77(1):37-46.). Several hypotheses have been postulated for this crucial role in reducing pain, fighting inflammation, moisturizing the wound, quantitative and qualitative improvement in the collagen composition, and increasing the migration of the wound’s neighbouring epithelial cells (Gupta, Malhotra, 2012Gupta VK, Malhotra S. Pharmacological attribute of Aloe vera: Revalidation through experimental and clinical studies. Ayu. 2012;33(2):193.), (Figure3). The key regulator of the action of Aloe vera in prompting healing is the existence of a mannose-rich polysaccharide; called glucomannan which acts together with gibberellin and growth hormone stimulating fibroblasts to actively proliferate. Upon triggering fibroblast activation and proliferation, the collagen biogenesis significantly increases both quantitatively and qualitatively (Surjushe, Vasani, Saple, 2008Surjushe A, Vasani R, Saple DG. Aloe vera: a short review. Indian J Dermatol. 2008;53(4):163.). The amount of collagen in the wounded area not only increases, but the transversal connections between bands also increase and other subtypes of collagen are created. Consequently, the wounded area decreases and the healing process accelerates significantly ( Surjushe, Vasani, Saple, 2008Surjushe A, Vasani R, Saple DG. Aloe vera: a short review. Indian J Dermatol. 2008;53(4):163.; Hashemi, Madani, Abediankenari, 2015Hashemi SA, Madani SA, Abediankenari S. The review on properties of Aloe vera in healing of cutaneous wounds. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:714216.). Interestingly, (Teplicki et al., 2018Teplicki E, Ma Q, Castillo DE, Zarei M, Hustad AP, Chen J, et al. The Effects of Aloe vera on Wound Healing in Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Viability. Wounds a Compend Clin Res Pract. 2018;30(9):263-8.) reported that Aloe vera accelerates wound healing not only through promoting the active proliferation of fibroblasts and keratinocytes but also because it showed protective action for keratinocytes against preservative-induced death. Moreover, the biogenesis of hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulfate significantly increased in the granulation tissue after oral and topical therapy with Aloe vera (Mahor, Ali, 2016Mahor G, Ali SA. Recent update on the medicinal properties and use of Aloe vera in the treatment of various ailments. Biosci Biotechnol Res Commun. 2016;9(2):277-92.). The topical application of Aloe vera gel may also stimulate angiogenesis and increases the blood supply to the wound, thus better fulfilling its metabolic requirements (Sargowo, Handaya, Tjokroprawiro, 2012Sargowo D, Handaya AY, Tjokroprawiro A. The effect of aloe gel in enhancing angiogenesis in diabetic wound healing. Postgrad Program Brawijaya Med Sch Malang email djanggan@ yahoo com. 2012.; Hamid, Soliman, 2015Hamid AAA, Soliman MF. Effect of topical aloe vera on the process of healing of full-thickness skin burn: a histological and immunohistochemical study. J Histol Histopathol. 2015;2(1):3.). The humectant action of mucopolysaccharides contained in Aloe vera gel contributes to the moisturizing of the skin (Dal’Belo, Gaspar, Maia Campos, 2006Dal’Belo SE, Gaspar LR, Maia Campos PM. Moisturizing effect of cosmetic formulations containing Aloe vera extract in different concentrations assessed by skin bioengineering techniques. Ski Res Technol. 2006;12(4):241-6.).

FIGURE 3
Action mechanism of Aloe vera in promoting wound healing.

The anti-inflammatory and anesthetic action of Aloe vera may be attained by the inhibition of the cyclooxygenase pathway by decreasing prostaglandin E2. C-glycosyl chromone, a novel anti-inflammatory agent was isolated from the gel extract (Hutter et al., 1996Hutter JA, Salman M, Stavinoha WB, Satsangi N, Williams RF, Streeper RT, et al. Antiinflammatory C-glucosyl chromone from Aloe barbadensis. J Nat Prod. 1996;59(5):541-3.). Moreover, hydrolyzing enzymes such as carboxypeptidase and bradykinase were isolated from Alo; both enzymes act as potent anti-inflammatory substances, by breaking down bradykinin which induces pain (Takzare et al., 2009Takzare N, Hosseini M, Hasanzadeh G, Mortazavi H, Takzare A, Habibi P. Influence of Aloe Vera gel on dermal wound healing process in rat. Toxicol Mech Methods. 2009;19(1):73-7.; Anuradha, Patil, Asha, 2017Anuradha A, Patil B, Asha VR. Evaluation of efficacy of aloe vera in the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis-a clinical study. J Oral Pathol Med . 2017;46(1):50-5.; Maan et al., 2018Maan AA, Nazir A, Khan MKI, Ahmad T, Zia R, Murid M, et al. The therapeutic properties and applications of aloe vera: a review. J Herb Med. 2018;12:1-10.). Recent studies in mice, showed that the anti-inflammatory properties of Aloe vera are related to its strong ability to inhibit cytokines, ROS production and blocking the signaling of JAK1-STAT1/3 (Sánchez et al. 2020Sánchez M, González-Burgos E, Iglesias I, Gómez-Serranillos MP. Pharmacological update properties of Aloe vera and its major active constituents. Molecules . 2020;25(6):1324.). Additionally, rhein (0.3 μM), rhein sulfates/glucuronides (1.0 μM), and aloe-emodin sulfates/glucuronides (0.5 μM) suppressed nitric oxide production, iNOS expression, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and phosphorylation of MAPKs (Li et al., 2017Li CY, Suzuki K, Hung YL, Yang MS, Yu CP, Lin SP, et al. Aloe metabolites prevent LPS-induced sepsis and inflammatory response by inhibiting mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Am J Chin Med. 2017;45(04):847-61.). Acemannan is an additional polysaccharide extracted from Aloe vera that act as a potent anti-inflammatory agent on the upregulation of white blood cell activity during the healing process (Tamura et al., 2009 Tamura N, Yoshida T, Miyaji K, Sugita-Konishi Y, Hattori M. Inhibition of infectious diseases by components from Aloe vera. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2009;73(4):950-3.; Liu et al., 2019Liu C, Cui Y, Pi F, Cheng Y, Guo Y, Qian H. Extraction, purification, structural characteristics, biological activities and pharmacological applications of acemannan, a polysaccharide from Aloe vera: a review. Molecules . 2019;24(8):1554.). (Thunyakitpisal et al., 2017Thunyakitpisal P, Ruangpornvisuti V, Kengkwasing P, Chokboribal J, Sangvanich P. Acemannan increases NF-κB/ DNA binding and IL-6/-8 expression by selectively binding Toll-like receptor-5 in human gingival fibroblasts. Carbohydr Polym . 2017;161:149-57.) demonstrated that acemannan improved IL-6 and IL-8 expression and NF-κB/DNA binding in human gingival fibroblast through a toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Aloin also modulates oral inflammatory diseases through the inhibition of salivary IL-1β-prompted IL-8 production by reducing p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways (Na et al., 2016Na HS, Song YR, Kim S, Heo J, Chung H, Chung J. Aloin Inhibits Interleukin (IL)-1β− Stimulated IL-8 Production in KB Cells. J Periodontol. 2016;87(6):e108-15.). AVH200®, is a standardized Aloe vera extract which contains mainly aloin and acemannan, and acts to reduce cytokine production and activation of T cells in healthy human individuals aged 18 - 60 years (Ahluwalia et al., 2016Ahluwalia B, Magnusson MK, Isaksson S, Larsson F, Öhman L. Effects of Aloe barbadensis Mill. extract (AVH200®) on human blood T cell activity in vitro. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016;179:301-9.).

Additionally, anthraquinone is another organic compound with natural pigments which is responsible for the characteristic color of Aloe vera leaves, and has been postulated to play an important role in minimizing bacterial infection and viral invasion (Kuzuya et al., 2001Kuzuya H, Tamai I, Beppu H, Shimpo K, Chihara T. Determination of aloenin, barbaloin and isobarbaloin in Aloe species by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl. 2001;752(1):91-7.; Tamura et al., 2009 Tamura N, Yoshida T, Miyaji K, Sugita-Konishi Y, Hattori M. Inhibition of infectious diseases by components from Aloe vera. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2009;73(4):950-3.).

Side effects

Due to its wonderful healing properties Aloe vera is widely considered as an efficient herbal medicine with therapeutic uses for both diabetic and normal wounds. Aloe vera is considered much more reliable and cost-effective in terms of the consistency and speed of wound healing when compared to the alternative therapies currently available.

No serious adverse reactions were demonstrated following topical application of Aloe vera. Nonethless, recent studies reported that Aloe vera extracts may contain toxic components and may cause some adverse impacts. The topical application of Aloe vera on cutaneous wounds may cause minimal transient pain, a stinging sensation, burning, redness and rare cases of dermatitis in sensitive persons. The allergic reactions mainly originate from anthraquinones. Hence, it would be advisable to smear it on a small area first to test the potential allergic reaction ( Surjushe, Vasani, Saple, 2008Surjushe A, Vasani R, Saple DG. Aloe vera: a short review. Indian J Dermatol. 2008;53(4):163.; Mahor, Ali, 2016Mahor G, Ali SA. Recent update on the medicinal properties and use of Aloe vera in the treatment of various ailments. Biosci Biotechnol Res Commun. 2016;9(2):277-92.). On the other hand, oral ingestion of Aloe preparations may be asscociated with some problems such as hypokalemia, diarrhea, pseudomelanosis coli, nephrotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity, in addition to phototoxicity and hypersensitive reactions (Guo, Mei, 2016Guo X, Mei N. Aloe vera: A review of toxicity and adverse clinical effects. J Environ Sci Heal Part C . 2016;34(2):77-96.). Moreover, whole leaf extract of Aloe vera induce carcinogenicity in rats, hence it was classified as a possible carcinogen for human by the international agency for research on cancer (Grosse et al., 2013Grosse Y, Loomis D, Lauby-Secretan B, El Ghissassi F, Bouvard V, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, et al. Carcinogenicity of some drugs and herbal products. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14(9):807.; Cancer, 2015Cancer IA for R on. Aloe vera In: Some Drugs and Herbal Products (Volume 108). Int Agency Res Cancer, Lyon, Fr. 2015;).

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PROSPECTIVES

In conclusion, Aloe vera derivatives have a long history of pharmaceutical applications. Moreover, the usage of Aloe vera as a skin curative is still growing. Recent techniques in tissue engineering created novel scaffolds based on Aloe vera gel extracts for wound healing applications (Gil-Cifuentes, Jiménez, Fontanilla, 2019Gil-Cifuentes L, Jiménez RA, Fontanilla MR. Evaluation of collagen type I scaffolds including gelatin-collagen microparticles and Aloe vera in a model of full-thickness skin wound. Drug Deliv Transl Res. 2019;9(1):25-36.; Rubio-Elizalde et al., 2019Rubio-Elizalde I, Bernáldez-Sarabia J, Moreno-Ulloa A, Vilanova C, Juárez P, Licea-Navarro A, et al. Scaffolds based on alginate-PEG methyl ether methacrylate-Moringa oleifera-Aloe vera for wound healing applications. Carbohydr Polym. 2019;206:455-67.). Incorporation of Aloe vera within natural and synthetic polymers built to mimic the original architecture of the human body may reduce their adverse effects (Tran, Hamid, Cheong, 2018>Tran TT, Hamid ZA, Cheong KY. A review of mechanical properties of scaffold in tissue engineering: Aloe vera composites. In: Journal of Physics: Conference Series. IOP Publishing; 2018. p. 12080.; Ezhilarasu et al., 2019Ezhilarasu H, Ramalingam R, Dhand C, Lakshminarayanan R, Sadiq A, Gandhimathi C, et al. Biocompatible aloe vera and tetracycline hydrochloride loaded hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds for skin tissue engineering. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(20):5174.; Ghorbani, Nezhad-Mokhtari, Ramazani, 2020Ghorbani M, Nezhad-Mokhtari P, Ramazani S. Aloe vera-loaded nanofibrous scaffold based on Zein/Polycaprolactone/ Collagen for wound healing. Int J Biol Macromol. 2020;153:921-30.). Hence, further guided studies are required to foster the development of Aloe vera based products for the benefits of worldwide populations.

ACKNOLEDGMENT

The authors extend their appreciation to the deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University, Abha, KSA for supporting this work under grant number (R.G.P.2/35/43).

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    09 Jan 2023
  • Date of issue
    2022

History

  • Received
    02 Sept 2020
  • Accepted
    22 July 2021
Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, n. 580, 05508-000 S. Paulo/SP Brasil, Tel.: (55 11) 3091-3824 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: bjps@usp.br