Aloe vera and wound healing: a brief review

• Published in: Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 58
• Main Authors: Massoud, Diaa, Alrashdi, Barakat M., Fouda, Maged M. A., El-kott, Attalla, Soliman, Soha A., Abd-Elhafeez, Hanan H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas 01-01-2022; Universidade de São Paulo
• Subjects: Aloe vera; Bioactive substances; Mechanism of action; PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY; Wound healing; Wound phases; Wound phases; Wound healing; Aloe vera; Mechanism of action; Bioactive substances
• ISSN: 2175-9790; 2175-9790
• DOI: 10.1590/s2175-97902022e20837

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.