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Description
Aloe vera (A. barbadensis Mill), is a perennial succulent plant belonging to the Liliaceae family that is distributed all over the world for its therapeutic and skin health benefits. Its gel, derived from parenchymatous cells in fresh leaves, is a potent source of numerous functional bioactive and nutrient compounds, which are associated with its biological and functional activities. However, the limiting therapeutic applications of Aloe vera gel include the quick oxidation, fast changing color, odor, viscosity, and high enzymatic activity. The stabilization of Aloe vera gel with an appropriate technique is therefore necessary to preserve its phytochemical substances and bioactive entities. There are various processing techniques applied for sterilizing and stabilizing the Aloe vera gel, such as heating, drying, and incorporating chemical preservatives and additives. The disadvantage of heating processes is that to destroy the bioactive compounds of the gel with the physicochemical alterations. However, limited knowledge about its stability and shelf life still exists. The objective of our study is to optimize extraction and preparation conditions and to perform an effective stabilization of Aloe vera gel freshly extracted from the leaves by adding antioxidants, antimicrobials, and natural stabilizers to ensure its stability in dark and cold conditions. The wound healing effectiveness of stable Aloe vera gel applied topically once daily to mice’s skin wounds was assessed by wound contraction every 2 days. Our study was performed to demonstrate whether the gel formulation still has the therapeutic properties as a wound healing agent.
Keywords: Aloe vera leaf gel; stabilization; preservatives, stabilizers, wound healing
