Aloe vera is frequently used in herbal medicine and several scientific studies of its use have been conducted with some conflicting results. Nonetheless, there is evidence that aloe vera extracts may be useful in the treatment of wounds, burns, and minor skin infections. Aloe vera extracts have been reported to inhibit the growth of fungi that cause tinea vesicolor. However, always consult a physician before attempting to cure any skin condition with an herbal treatment.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a species of succulent plant indigenous to the Arabian peninsula and Northern Africa. Topical application of aloe vera is traditionally used to heal wounds and various skin conditions. In addition to these traditional uses, aloe can be taken orally to treat a variety of conditions, including diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, and osteoarthritis. Gel produced from the plant is used in skin products, including lotions and sunblocks.
Tinea Vesicolor
Tinea versicolor is a skin condition distinguished by a rash on the trunk and proximal extremities. Recent clinical studies have shown that tinea versicolor is typically caused by two species of yeast, Malassezia globosa and Malassezia furfur, where M. furfur is responsible for only a small number of cases. These yeasts ordinarily reside on human skin and only become bothersome under certain conditions, such as in warm and humid environments, although the exact conditions that cause manifestations of the disease are poorly understood. Discolored spots will commonly occur on the back, underarm, upper arm, chest, lower legs, and neck and infrequently on the face. These discolorations have led to the term "sun fungus."
Research on Aloe Vera Treatment for Tinea Versicolor
A research article appearing in the October 2007 issue of the "International Journal of Dermatology" highlighted the usage of medicinal plants in the treatment of several dermal diseases in African countries. The report noted that more than 400 compounds derived from plants are used in the preparation of drugs and herbal remedies used in traditional medicine. Of these herbal remedies, the authors observed several to be effective for certain skin diseases. They obtained data from patients at a dermatology clinic in Nigeria to investigate which herbs were successfully applied to treat these disorders including tinea versicolor. They found that some of the plants, notably aloe vera, possess clinical and pharmacologic value for treatment of tinea versicolor and other skin disorders. In a March 2010 article appearing in the "Archives of Pharmacal Research," scientists investigated gels of aloe species that purportedly contain immunomostimulatory components, such as aloctin A and acemannan. In this study, the activity of processed Aloe vera gel in mice by oral administration was evaluated and found to significantly reduce the growth of yeast in the spleen and kidney following intravenous injection of yeast cells in normal mice. They also found that topical administration also reduced the growth of yeast on diabetic mice. The authors claim that their findings provide the first clear evidence for the immunomostimulatory activity of orally administered aloe vera gel.
Conflicting Research of Efficacy of Aloe Vera
In a May 2004 article appearing in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology," researchers tested traditional Nigerian soft soaps prepared using various raw materials such as cocoa pod ash, Theobroma cacao, and palm kernel shaft ash, Elaies guineensis, and evaluated their anti-microbial activities using standard protocols. The anti-microbial evaluation was done with and without incorporation of aloe vera into the soap samples. Results showed that the antimicrobial properties of the soaps are dependent solely on the raw materials used and the incorporated aloe vera did not show any significant effect on the bacterial and fungal test organisms.
References
- "International Journal of Dermatology"; Some Nigerian plants of dermatologic importance; F Ajose; October 2007.
- "Archives of Pharmacal Research"; In vivo evidence of the immunomodulatory activity of orally administered Aloe vera gel; S Im et al.; March 2010.
- "Journal of Ethnopharmacology"; Do Aloe Vera and Ageratum conyzoides enhance the anti-microbial activity of traditional medicinal soft soaps (Osedudu)?; J Moody et al.; May 2004.
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