Čes. slov. farm. 2005, 54(1):43-46

Antilipoxygenase Activity and the Trace Elements Content of Aloe vera in Relation to the Therapeutical Effect

L. Bezáková¹, M. Obložinský¹, M. Sýkorová², I. Paulíková¹, D. Košťálová³

¹ Katedra bunkovej a molekulárnej biológie liečiv Farmaceutickej fakulty Univerzity Komenského Bratislava

² Katedra farmaceutickej analýzy a nukleárnej farmácie Farmaceutickej fakulty Univerzity Komenského, Bratislava

³ Katedra farmakognózie a botaniky Farmaceutickej fakulty Univerzity Komenského, Bratislava

Aloe vera is a rich source of many natural-health-promoting substances. The results of contemporary research on animal models indicate that the extracts have an antiinflammatory property. In this work the results of some in vitro experiments are shown: determination of the inhibitory effect of the Aloe vera extracts on the activity of partially purified lipoxygenase from the rat lung cytosol fraction, and quantitative determination of the trace elements presented in the extract (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn) carried out by using the x-ray fluorescence analysis. The findings could explain the inhibitory effect (antilipoxygenase activity) of the Aloe vera extract in the acute inflammation process, expecially in the topical application for healing of minor burns and skin ulcers.

Keywords: Aloe vera; lipoxygenase; trace elements; x-ray fluorescence analysis

Received: January 26, 2004; Accepted: February 25, 2004; Published: January 1, 2005  Show citation