Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera Juice, organic)
The Aloe Vera direct juice is obtained exclusively from the leaf pulp of our organically grown plants. A certificate of analysis is commissioned from each batch. This certificate proves that our juice is not made from the whole leaf, is aloe free and is not made from powder or concentrate. Only the Aloe Vera Leaf Juice produced by us is used for all our products.
We obtain this juice exclusively from the "marrow" of the leaves of the cactus-like desert lily, Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller, also known as "Real Aloe").
In order to obtain the highest possible proportion of ingredients, the leaves are peeled directly after harvesting and the core inside the leaves is removed by hand. The result is a transparent, almost colourless, viscous mass. By processing by hand, directly after harvesting, we are able to obtain the best possible content of ingredients in our Aloe Vera Leaf Juice.
This contains over 200 ingredients such as acemannan, also known as Aloverose, acid heteropolysaccharides, which consist mainly of D-glucose and D-mannose. Also simple sugars such as glucose, mannose, galactose and xylose as well as water-soluble vitamins, amino acids, amylase, alkaline phosphatase, lipase and salicylic acid (Pharmazeutische Zeitung 17 (2002) 6).
The anthraquinones aloin and aloe emodin are only present in trace amounts.
The bitter-tasting, yellow aloe juice (aloe latex), on the other hand, is extracted from the outer parts of the leaves and, unlike aloe gel, contains the strongly laxative anthraquinone glycosides aloin A and B.
Gel and latex are not always cleanly separated, so that depending on the manufacturing process, anthraquinones can also be contained in gels (Arznei-Telegramm 6 (2002) 64 - 65). Modern patented processes are supposed to guarantee anthranoid-free gel products (HagerROM 2001, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg).
In order to ensure that our products are free of Aloin A and B, our Aloe Vera Leaf Juice is also freed from the last residues by adding a natural product and subsequent filtration, so that our Aloe Vera Leaf Juice is practically aloin-free.
From the Aloe Vera Leaf Juice obtained in this way, all our cosmetics are made. In this way we ensure that all our products contain the best possible content of ingredients.
Traditional use of Aloe Vera
The plant Aloe Vera and its use as a medicine dates back to 6000 years BC. The first reference to the use of aloe vera by man is found in Sumerian hieroglyphics engraved in clay tablets during the civilisation of Mesopotamia (4500-1900 BC), in which it is described as a laxative. In ancient Egyptian papyrus documents, aloe vera is described as useful in curing infections, treating skin problems and as a laxative. Cleopatra is said to have included aloe cream in her beauty care plan. Aloe vera was also known to people in Greece. For example, aloe was used by Hippocrates. Legend has it that Alexander the Great conquered the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean to provide aloe for the treatment of his wounded soldiers and Arab doctors.
Aloe is also popular in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. The Chinese describe the skin of Aloe and the inner lining of its leaves as a cold, bitter remedy that drains down and is used to remove constipation due to heat build-up. In Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medicine of India, aloe is used internally as a laxative, antihelminthic, haemorrhoid and uterine stimulant (menstrual regulator) and externally to treat eczema or psoriasis, often in combination with liquorice root. In Arabic medicine, the fresh gel is used as a headache remedy rubbed on the forehead or rubbed on the body to cool it down in case of fever, as well as for wound healing, conjunctivitis and as a disinfectant and laxative.
Pharmaceutical composition
Aloe vera contains various active ingredients, including monosaccharides, polysaccharides, anthraquinones, vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugar, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids and amino acids (Dagne et al., 2000; Hamman, 2008; Surjushe et al., 2008; Choche et al., 2013).
Carbohydrates. Aloe vera contains monosaccharides and polysaccharides (glucomannans / polymannose), which originate from the mucous layer of the plant and are called mucopolysaccharides. The monosaccharides include mannose, glucose, L-rhamnose, aldopentose. The best known monosaccharide is mannose-6-phosphate. Polysaccharides include pure mannans, acetylated mannans, acetylated glucomannans, gluco-galactomannans, galactans, galactogalacturans, arabinogalactans, galactoglucoarabino-mannans, pectin substance, xylan and cellulose. The most common polysaccharides are called glucomannans (beta(1,4)-acetylated mannans). Aloe vera has the highest content of acemannan, a prominent glucomannan that offers many health benefits.
chromones. Chromones (or 1,4-benzopyrones) are derivatives of benzopyran with a substituted keto group on the pyran ring. Chromones include 8-C-glucosyl-(2'-O-cinnamoly)-7-O-methlyalogendiol A, 8-C-glucosyl-(S)-aloesol, 8-C-glucosyl-7-O-methylalogendiol A, 8-C-glucosyl-7-0-methylalogendiol, 8-C-glucosyl-noreugenin, isoalogeneresin D, isorabaichromone and neoalosin A. The chromones are a derivative of benzopyran with a substituted keto group on the pyran ring. C-glucosylchromone, isolated from aloe vera gel, has anti-inflammatory properties (Hutter et al, 1996).
enzymes. Aloe vera contains various enzymes, including alkaline phosphatase, amylase, bradykinase, carboxypeptidase, catalase, cyclooxidase, cyclooxygenase, lipase, oxidase, phosphoenolpyruvate, carboxylase, superoxide dismutase. Bradykinase helps reduce excessive inflammation when applied topically to the skin, while others help break down sugars and lipids.
Anthraquinones/anthrones. Aloe vera contains 12 anthraquinones, which are phenolic compounds, including aloe emodin, aloetic acid, anthranol, barbaloin (aloin A), isobarbaloin (aloin B), emodin and cinnamic acid esters. Aloin and emodin act as analgesics, antibiotics and antivirals.
Inorganic compounds. Calcium, chlorine, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc. They are essential for the proper functioning of the various enzyme systems in the various metabolic pathways, and few are antioxidants.
proteins: Aloe Vera contains several glycoproteins and lectins. Alprogen is a glycoprotein with anti-allergic properties (Ro et al., 2000).
Vitamins: Aloe vera contains vitamin A (β carotene), C and E, which are antioxidants. It also contains vitamin B12, folic acid and choline.
hormones. The hormones in aloe vera include auxins and gibberellins (tetracyclic diterpenes). These hormones help the wound to heal and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Various organic compounds and lipids. Aloe vera contains steroids (campestrol, cholesterol, sitosterol, β-isosterol and lupeol), lignins, salicylic acid, saponins, triterpenoids, arachidonic acid, potassium sorbate, uric acid, triglycerides and γ-linolenic acid.
The steroids have an anti-inflammatory effect and Lupeol also has antiseptic and analgesic properties. Lignin, an inert substance, when present in topical preparations, enhances the penetration effect of the other ingredients into the skin. Salicylic acid has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Saponins are the soapy substances (about 3% of the gel) and have cleansing and antiseptic properties.
Aloe vera also provides 20 of the 22 amino acids required by humans and 7 of the 8 essential amino acids (alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, hydroxyproline, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, threonine, tyrosine, valine).
Chemical composition
The gel has a very high water content (99%-99.5%), with the remaining soluble solids making up 0.5%-1% (Hamman, 2008). The pH is between 4.4 and 4.7 (Wang and Strong, 1995).
On a dry matter basis, the chemical components consist of 35% fibre (non-starch polysaccharides + lignin), 27% soluble sugars, 24% ash and a small proportion of lipids, proteins, enzymes and mineral elements (Grindlay and Reynolds; 1986; Femenia et al., 1999).
A chemical analysis of the aloe vera gel (Di Scala et al., 2013) showed the following data:
Energy (kcal/g sample) 5.84
pH value 4.74
Acidity (% malic acid) 0,06
moisture 98,93 + 0,06 g/100 g fresh gel
Protein 0,12 + 0,01 g/100 g fresh gel
fat 0,01 + 0,02 g/100 g fresh gel
crude fibre 0,12 + 1,20 g/100 g fresh gel
ash 0,16 + 0,02 g/100 g fresh gel
available carbohydrates 0,66 g/100 g fresh gel
Glucose 25,20 + 0,06 g/100 g dry matter
fructose 9,30 + 0,01 g/100 g dry matter
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Carbohydrates and polysaccharides. The alcohol-insoluble residues obtained from aloe vera gel freeze-dried fractions have a high content of carbohydrates (72%), including mannose, glucose and uronic acid.
Linear chains of β-1-4-linked mannose and glucose molecules form the primary polysaccharides in the gel (Ni et al., 2004; Grindlay and Reynolds; 1986; Tai-Nin Chow et al., 2005; Mandal and Das, 1980; Yaron, 1993).
Most researchers agree that acemannan, an acetylated glucomannan, is the main active component of the mucilaginous aloe vera gel (e.g. Femenia et al., 1999). Others report a pectic substance as the main polysaccharide (Hamman, 2008). Pectic substance is a term that refers to a group of closely related polysaccharides including pectin, pectic acid and arabinogalactan. Pectin is a polysaccharide consisting of α-(1→4) linked polygalacturonic acid with intrachain rhamnose insertion, neutral sugar side chains and methyl esterification.
The deviations are considered to be the result of the gel extraction process.
Phenolic compounds. A recent comparative analysis by Quispe et al. (2018) of phenolic compounds in different parts of the aloe vera from Chile (shell, flower, gel and root) has shown that the gel also contains several phenolic compounds, including chromones (aloesin, aloeresin B, Isoaloersin D, 7-methylether of 2'-feruloylaloesin), anthracene compounds (aloin A, aloin B, 4,5-dimethylether of aloe emodin), flavonoids (naringenin-4'-methoxy-7-O-glucuronide) and oxilipins (trihydroxyoctadecenoic acid).
Although the concentration of anthracene compounds in the gel is relatively low compared to latex, treatment with activated carbon is recommended to remove even trace amounts of aloe A and B and aloe emodin, although a considerable amount of polysaccharides are also removed by adsorption of activated carbon.