The
American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) has published its 34th
monograph, which features quality control standards for aloe vera leaf, leaf
juice, and inner leaf juice. The monograph focuses on commercially available A. vera plant materials, and also includes information on additional
species in the genus Aloe.
Each
AHP monograph serves as an authoritative guide for verifying botanical purity
and identification, and establishes quality and composition guidelines to
be used for fulfilling Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.
Additionally, the monographs provide details on the historic uses of the herb,
photographs and images for identification purposes, as well as information
regarding physical and chemical analytical methods.
According
to the AHP monograph, released on December 18, 2012, “The plant genus Aloe has a history of economic and medicinal use that spans
thousands of years and is the source of some of the oldest-known herbal
medicines.”1 AHP addresses three parts of the aloe vera plant,
sometimes referred to by its synonym A. barbadensis,
including the leaf, leaf juice, and inner leaf juice. Over the past two
decades, both aloe vera leaf juice and gel have become popular botanical
materials.2 The monograph will be of use for individuals and
organizations that use aloe vera, including suppliers, manufacturers,
researchers, regulators, and government agencies.
“I
am ecstatic that AHP is the first pharmacopoeial standard developed for aloe vera leaf
and inner leaf juice as these are important herbal products worldwide,” said
AHP Executive Director Roy Upton in the organization’s press release.2
AHP received support for the monograph from the International Aloe Science Council (IASC), a nonprofit trade organization based in Silver Spring, Maryland. "AHP worked
collaboratively with IASC to establish the standards as a way to establish a
clear benchmark of quality and purity,” said Upton (email, January 8, 2013).
“AHP maintained complete editorial control over the entire process and content.
The monograph was then subjected to peer review by IASC and industry experts,
as well as a host of independent academic aloe experts.”
The AHP aloe monograph
provides much-needed information and guidance on the potential carcinogenicity
of some orally ingested aloe vera material, brought into question by a 2011
report from the National Toxicity Program (NTP). In a two-year study, the NTP
found a link between non-decolorized whole leaf extract and tumors of the large
intestine in mice and rats.3 However, the aloe vera material used in
the study contained high amounts of the anthraquinone compound aloin.
“Some of these products averaged 6,300 ppm of aloin A and are completely
different than many aloe vera juice products on the market that limit aloin to
less than 5 ppm,” Upton stated in the press release.1 “I am happy
that we can clarify the distinctions between the high-aloin-containing products
for which safety concerns have been noted and help establish the standards for
ensuring identity, purity, quality, and safety of aloe juice products.”
The
therapeutic compendium section for the AHP aloe monograph — a component which
will contain pharmacological and clinical data on various types of aloe
materials that usually is released with AHP quality standards monographs — is
anticipated to be developed in the near future, according to the press release.
“We look forward to developing the therapeutic compendium, both because we like
having a complete dossier for every herb we monograph but also because there
are a number of studies showing the health benefits and establishing the safety
of aloe vera juice that meet the AHP-IASC standards,” Upton told the American
Botanical Council in an email. “It would be good to get this information out
there so consumers can make a clear distinction between products yielding high
levels of anthraquinones and those that meet AHP-IASC standards and yield less
than 10 ppm aloins.”
The
monograph for aloe vera leaf, leaf juice, and inner leaf juice is available
through AHP’s website at www.herbal-ahp.org.
PDFs are available for $35.95, and printed four-color versions can be purchased
for $44.95.
−Tyler
Smith
References
1. Upton R, Axentiev P (eds.). Aloe vera leaf, aloe vera
leaf juice, aloe vera inner leaf juice: standards of identity, analysis, and
quality control. American Herbal Pharmacopoeia website. Available here.
Accessed January 9, 2012.
2. AHP releases monograph standards for aloe vera leaf,
aloe vera leaf juice, aloe vera inner leaf juice (Aloe vera (L.) Burm f.)
[press release]. Scotts Valley, CA: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. December 18,
2012. Available here.
Accessed January 4, 2012.
3. Herbs at a glance: aloe vera. National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine website. Available here.
Accessed January 4, 2012.
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