BENGAL SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY
SUGANDHA, DELHI ROAD, CHINSURAH,
HOOGHLY, WEST BENGAL-712102.
REPORT WRITING
ON
TITLE OF THE TOPIC: PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDY ABOUT
CRUDE DRUG ALOE
SUBMITTED BY:
NAME: RUMIA SULTANA
COURSE: B PHARM YEAR/SEMESTER: 3rd /5th
ROLL NO: 19301922007 REGISTRATION NO: 221930210077
SUBJECT: PHARMACOGNOSY AND PHYTOCHEMISTRY-II SUBJECT CODE: PT 512
ACADEMIC SESSION:2024-25 DATE OF SUBMISSION:06/08/2024
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PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDY ABOUT CRUDE DRUG ALOE
❖ INTRODUCTION:
➢ Synonym: Aloe, musabbar, kumari.
• The word Aloe is originated from the Arabic word viz. alloch which means bitter and shiny
substance.
• Among the different species, 'vera' means true, 'ferox' means wild, 'spicata' means the
flowers in spikes and 'barbadensis' and ' 'africana' refer to habitat of the plant.
• Aloe is most popular, naturally occurring plants with high therapeutic uses.
• Aloe is a succulent plant with at least 420 species that is used in medicine and skincare
products.
• The most common species of aloe used in products is Aloe barbadensis Miller, also known
as Aloevera.
❖ BIOLOGICAL SOURCE AND GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE:
➢ Biological source:
• Aloes is obtained from the dried juice of the leaves of various species aloes-
• Aloe barbadensis Miller known as Curacao aloes.
• Aloe perryi Baker known as Socotrine aloes.
• Aloe ferox Miller and hybrids of this species with Aloe africana Miller and Aloe spicata
Baker, known as Cape aloes.
• Family: Liliaceae
➢ Geographical source:
• Alloes is indigenous to Eastern and Southern Africa and grown in cape colony, Zanzibar and
island of Socotra.
• It is also cultivated in Caribbean Islands, Europe ,many areas of India including north west
Himalayan region
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❖ MORPHOLOGY
➢ Morphological characters of all the 4 commercial form of alloes are described below:
1. Curacao aloes:
o It found as Cape Barbados and livery variety.
o It occurs as brownish black, opaque mass, waxy and somewhat resinous.
• Odour: Strong odour resembles iodoform.
• Taste: Intensely better and unpleasant.
o It is distinguished by their transparency
2. Cape aloes:
o It is vitreous form.
o It occurs as dark brown or green is brown to Olive brown masses.
• Odour: Sour but distinct odour.
• Taste: Nauseating and bitter.
3. Socotrine aloes:
o Masses of different shape and size.
o It occurs as opaque mass with a pasty or semisolid consistency.
• Colour: Brownish-yellow.
• Taste: Extremely bitter, nauseous.
• Odour: Unpleasant.
• It is totally soluble in 60% alcohol.
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4. Zanzibar aloes:
• Opaque more firm then Socotrine.
• Colour: Liver brown
• It is waxy smooth and even fracture.
• Odour: Disagreeable
• Taste: Bitter.
❖ MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERISTICS
• Leaf grows in a rosette shape.
• The outermost cuticle followed by epidermis, palisade tissue and mucilaginous
parenchymatous mesophyll.
• Mesophyll enclosed with vascular bundles which are covered with pericylic layer.
• Inside the pericyclic layer few large elongated thin world alloeitic cell are present and
and they content highly discuss yellow juice.
• Few calcium oxalate crystals are present in parenchyma.
FIG: Microscopic characteristics
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❖ CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS
• All the varieties of the Aloe are the major sources of anthraquinone glycosides.
• The principle active composition of aloe is aloin which is a mixture of glucosides.
• Barbaloin: The amount of barbaloin in defferent commercial varieties varies to a large
extent.
• Isobarbaloin, β- barbaloin, Aloe-emodin, Resins.
• The drug also contains aloetic acid, homanataloin, aloesone,chrysophanic acid,chrysamminic
acid, galactouronic acid, choline,choline salicylate, saponins, mucopolysaccharides,
glucosamines,hexuronic acid, coniferyl alcohol etc.
❖ CULTIVATION AND COLLECTION
• For Cultivation- root suckers are used for propagation.
• Plants can even grow in poor grades of soils and in dry climatic conditions.
• Root suckers are planted in rows about 50 cm apart.
• Water logging near the plant must be prevented.
• The roots do not penetrate much in the soil.
• Manure- mixture of Nitrogen(N),potassium (K),phosphorus (P) is used.
• Leaves are cut for first instance in second year of cultivation & drug is obtained from leaves
for 12 years. After 12 years, the plants are completely harvested through uprooting
and the land is again worked for replantation.
• For collection of leaves- cut is given to leaves near their bases and juice is present in
parenchymatous cells of pericycle exudes out, due to pressure of mucilage cells.
• Single incision is sufficient for extracting out all the juice from entire system of pericyclic
cells.
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❖ CHEMICAL TESTS
➢ The chemical tests for aloes are performed either for general detection of specific variety of
aloes.
1. General Tests:
i) Bromine Test:
• Freshly prepared bromine solution is added in a small quantity of filtrate(1g of
aloe powder is boiled with 10 ml water and filtered with the help of kieselguhr).
• The test gives yellow precipitate of tetrabromalin.
ii) Borax test (Schoenteten's Reaction ):
• Little quantity of filtrate (1g of aloe powder is boiled with 10 ml water and
filtered with the help of kieselguhr)is treated with borax and shaken well till the
borax dissolves.
• When few drop this solution is added in a test tube nearly filled with water, a
green fluorescence appears.
2. Special tests:
➢ These tests are meant for distinguishing different varieties of Aloe Vera.
i. Nitrous acid test:
o Crystals of sodium nitrate along with small quantity of acetic acid are added aqueous
solution of aloes.
o Curacao aloe: sharp pink to carmine colour.
o Cape aloe: faint pink colour.
o Socotrine and Zanzibar aloe: less change in colour.
ii. Nitric acid test:
o This test is carried out either by directly applying nitric acid to drug or to its aqueous
solution.
o Curacao aloes: deep brownish red colour.
o Cape aloe: brownish colour changing to green.
o Socotrine aloe: pale brownish yellow colour.
o Zanzibar aloe: yellowish brown colour.
iii. Cupraloin test: (Klunge's isobarbaloin test)
o To very dilute aqueous solution of aloes, a drop of saturated copper sulphate solution is
added, followed by little quantity of sodium chloride and excess of 90% alcohol.
o Curacao aloe: wine red colour persisting four hrs.
➢ Cape aloe: faint colouration rapidly changing to yellow.
o Socotrine and Zanzibar aloes: no colour.
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❖ USES
➢ Aloe vera has numerous uses due to its medicinal, cosmetic, and nutritional properties. Here
are some of the uses of aloe:
• Medicinal uses:
1. Wound healing and skin irritations.
2. Burns and sunburn relief.
3. Digestive issues (constipation, IBS, etc).
4. Oral health (mouth sores, gum inflammation, etc).
5. Anti-inflammatory and pain relief.
6. Skin conditions (acne, eczema, psoriasis, etc.)
• Cosmetic uses:
7. Skin moisturizer and hydration.
8. Anti-aging and wrinkle reduction.
9. Hair care (dandruff, hair loss, etc).
• Nutritional uses:
10. Dietary supplement for vitamins and minerals.
11. Juice for hydration and digestive health.
❖ CONCLUTION:
In a pharmacognostic study of the crude drug aloe, the conclusion typically includes
morphological characteristics, chemical composition, cultivation and collection, uses. The
conclusion of the study typically reinforces the importance of this pharmacognostic parameters
in verifying the identity, quality and therapeutic potential of aloe as a crude drug providing a
foundation for its effective and safe application in healthcare.
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❖ REFERENCE
1) C.K.Kokate, A.P. Purohit,S.B.Gokhale, pharmacognosy;52th Edition-2016 by Nirali
Prakashan,Pune,(Pp- 9.9-9.16)
2) Odeleye OM, Elujoba AA, Gbolade AA. Comparative Pharmacognostic Studies on Aloe
schweinfurthii and
Aloe vera (Aloeceae) Leaves. Planta medica. 2009 Mar;75(04):P-23.
3) Joseph B, Raj SJ. Pharmacognostic and phytochemical properties of Aloe vera linn an
overview. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res. 2010 Jan 1;4(2):106-10.
4) Bruni A, Tosi B. A method for the pharmacognostic study of Aloe species using fluorescence
microscopy.
International Journal of Crude Drug Research. 1982 Jan 1;20(3):127-31.
5) Sánchez M, González-Burgos E, Iglesias I, Gómez-Serranillos MP. Pharmacological update
properties of Aloe vera and its major active constituents. Molecules. 2020 Mar 13;25(6):1324.
