Aloe Vera: Introduction, Cultivation, Uses & Toxicity
Introduction:
As we all are very familiar to aleovera. It is a succulent plant species of genus Aloe. The name comes from two root word aloe means bitter & Vera means truth. It is an evergreen perennial originated from the Arabian Peninsula.It belongs to family Asphodelaceace of kingdom plantae of order Asparagales.It is cultivated for agricultural & medicinal uses.
Description:
Aleovera is a stem less plant growing 60_100 cm tall, spreading by offsets. The leaves are thick and fleshy,green to grey_green with white flecks on their upper & lower stem surfaces.The flower are produced in summer on a spike up to 90cm tall.
Cultivation:
Aleovera has been widely grown as an ornamental plant. The species is popular with modern gardeners as a topical medicinal plant. The species is hardy in zones & species is relatively resistant to most insects, pests, mites, aphid. There is a large scale agricultural production of aleovera to supply the cosmetics industry & medical too.
Uses:
- Two substances from aleovera- a clear gel & its yellow latex are used to manufacture commercial products.
- Aleo gel typically is used to make topical medication for skin condition such as burns, wounds, rashes, dry skin.
- Aleo latex is used individually as a product with other ingredients to be ingested for relief for constipation.
Traditional medicine
It is used in traditional medicine as a skin treatment.
Commodities
It is used on facial tissues where it is promoted as a moisturizer & anti- irritant to reduce chafing of the nose.
Toxicity
Oral ingestion of aleovera is potentially toxic & may cause abdominal cramps& diarrhea which in turn can decrease the absorption of drugs.
Conclusion
Aleovera is a very useful plant of humankind. It has been used for medicinal as well as agricultural & decorative purposes. But many people are still unaware about its importance, causing huge wastage. So it is necessary to prompt about its benefits to perform many more researches & to make people aware about its importance.
Writer: Chandrakala Chaudhary (Student, Bsc Ag., IAAS, Paklihawa Campus)