• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2008

Aloin is a physiologically active anthraquinone present in aloe. There are two isomers of aloin, aloin A and aloin B, occurring as a mixture of diastereomers. The objective of this study was to determine the bioavailability and tissue distribution of aloin. Rats were gavaged with 11.8g/kg aloin, and the levels of aloin and its conjugates were measured in plasma, tissues, and urine. Plasma aloin level showed a peak at 1hr after the administration and the concentration was $59.07{\pm}10.5\;ng/ml$. The 24 h cumulated urinary aloin was 0.03% of the initial dose. These results suggest that aloin is absorbed and reaches a peak plasma level within 1-1.5 h after the administration and a significant portion is possibly metabolized or is excreted in feces. These results can apply to the determination of the adequate intake level of aloe and aloe products to achieve the desired biological effect, and to interprete in vitro study results.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2016

Osteoporosis is a bone pathology leading to increased fracture risk and challenging the quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an anthraquinone glycoside, aloin, on osteogenic induction of MC3T3-E1 cells. Aloin increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, an early differentiation marker of osteoblasts. Aloin also increased the ALP activity in adult human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSC), indicating that the action of aloin was not cell-type specific. Alizarin red S staining revealed a significant amount of calcium deposition in cells treated with aloin. Aloin enhanced the expression of osteoblast differentiation genes, Bmp-2, Runx2 and collagen 1a, in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis revealed that noggin and inhibitors of p38 MAPK and SAPK/JNK signals attenuated aloin-promoted expressions of Bmp-2 and Runx2 proteins. siRNA mediated blocking of Wnt-5a signaling pathway also annulled the influence of aloin, indicating Wnt-5a dependent activity. Inhibition of the different signal pathways abrogated the influence of aloin on ALP activity, confirming that aloin induced MC3T3-E1 cells into osteoblasts through MAPK mediated Wnt and Bmp signaling pathway.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.495-501
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• 2019

Aloin [1,8-Dihydroxy-10-(${\beta}$-D-glucopyranosyl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)-9(10H)-anthracenone], is a natural anthraquinone from aloe. It has been shown to have antioxidant and anticancer effects in various types of human cancer cells, but the anticancer effects of aloin in human colorectal cancer cells HT-29 have not been elucidated. In this study, possible mechanisms by which aloin exerts its apoptotic action in cultured human colorectal cancer HT-29 cells were investigated. The results of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay shows that treatment with aloin (0, 100, 200, 300 and $400{\mu}M$) reduced cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner in HT-29 and showed no effects on cell proliferation in A375SM and AGS cells. In addition, it was confirmed that apoptotic body was significantly increased as shown by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, and increased apoptosis rate by flow cytometry in HT-29 cells treated with aloin (0, 200 and $400{\mu}M$). We confirmed by western blotting that aloin activated Bax (pro-apoptotic), cleaved-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and caspase-3, -8 and Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic) were not changed compared with the control. Aloin induced up-regulation of phospho-p38 and down-regulation of phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2. Therefore, aloin suppressed the growth inhibitory effects by the induction of apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells and has potential as a cancer preventive medicine.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.802-808
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to develop an aloin-loaded wound dressing with an enhanced healing effect. The cross-linked hydrogel films were prepared with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) using a freeze-thawing (F-T) method. Their gel properties, release of drug, in vivo wound healing effect and histopathology were then evaluated. In the wound healing test, this aloin loaded PVA/CMC hydrogel showed faster healing of the wound made in rat dorsum than the aloin carbomer 934 gel or the control (carbomer 934 gel) due to phytochemical activity of aloin and moisture of CMC. In conclusion, the aloin-loaded wound dressing composed of 5% PVA, 5% CMC and 0.125% aloin is a potential wound dressing with enhanced wound healing effect.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2009

Aloe products are one of the top selling health-functional foods in Korea, however the adequate level of intake to achieve desirable effects are not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the intestinal uptake and metabolism of physiologically active aloe components using in vitro intestinal absorption model. The Caco-2 cell monolayer and the everted gut sac were incubated with $5-50{\mu}M$ of aloin, aloe-emodin, and aloesin. The basolateral appearance of test compounds and their glucuronosyl or sulfated forms were quantified using HPLC. The % absorption of aloin, aloe-emodin, and aloesin was ranged from 5.51% to 6.60%, 6.60% to 11.32%, and 7.61% to 13.64%, respectively. Up to 18.15%, 18.18%, and 38.86% of aloin, aloe-emodin, and aloesin, respectively, was absorbed as glucuronidated or sulfated form. These results suggest that a significant amount is transformed during absorption. The absorption rate of test compounds except aloesin was similar in two models; more aloesin was absorbed in the everted gut sac than in the Caco-2 monolayer. These results provide information to establish adequate intake level of aloe supplements to maintain effective plasma level.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.163-167
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• 1996

Aloe plants have been used as herbal medicine for centuries and the name aloe means the dried exudate from the cut leaves of Aloe ferox Mill. (Cape aloe, Liliaceae), Aloe ferryi Baker. (Socotrine aloe), A. bainesii Th. Dyer. (Natal aloe) and Aloe vera L. (Curacao aloe) (Namba, 1986). Among them, Aloe vera has not only been one of the most used natural drug well known for its cathartic properties, but also has been widely used as raw materials of cosmetics and health foods (Leung, 1978, Hoffenberg, 1979). Although previous investigations showed that the leaves of A. vera contain a number of anthracene and chromone derivatives such as aloin A, aloin B, 1, 3, 6, 8-tetra-nitro-4,5-dihydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl anthraquinone and 7-hydroxy-aloin, its chemical composition is far from being completely investigated (Hoffenberg, 1979, Rauwald and Voetig, 1982). As a part of our chemical investigations on the constituents of aloe, we report chemical investigation of the freeze dried ground leaves of A. vera which is led to the isolation of five compounds from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the methanolic extract.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.398-401
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• 2000

The effect of volatile components on cell growth and polysaccharide production in suspension cultures of Aloe saponaria was investigated using an intelligent on-line gas control system which enabled to control the concentrations of oxygen, carbon dioxide and ethylene simultaneously. Aloe production was enhanced in the presence of exogenous ethylene in the concentration range of 5ppm and 15ppm. Maintaining high tension of carbon dioxide (5% v/v) was found to enhance polysaccharide production significantly.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2008

The concentration of fresh gel from Aloe vera L. by using ulfrafiltration (UF) process was investigated and analyzed. The two membranes (organic and ceramic) with different molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) and modules (flat sheet and tubular) was used. Under optimum operation conditions, ceramic (zirconium dioxide) tubular membrane with MWCO of 50 kDa resulted in higher flux, less fouling, more turbid, higher total solid, higher polysaccharide and less aloin content. Optimum operation conditions were transmembrane pressure of 1.0 bar, feed velocity of 240 L/hr and temperature of $23^{\circ}C$. Volume concentration factor of aloe gel was 3.13 at permeate flux of $51.1\;L/m^2{\cdot}hr$ after processing time of 1.66 hr. Aloin in fresh aloe gel by UF process was effectively removed as permeate and bioactive polysaccharide content was 2.1 times higher than that of fresh aloe gel. These results allowed a very good level of concentration degree and polysaccharide content. Thus, ultrafiltration process of this study was suitable for the concentration of fresh aloe gel though the aloe concentrate showed both the viscosity decrease and partially separation of liquid layer during storage at $4^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.643-647
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• 2012

The antioxidant capacity of aloe vera gel (AG), aloe vera exudates (AE), and a low molecular filtrate of aloe vera gel (ALMF) prepared from aloe vera grown on Jeju Island, Korea was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays, and total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) were determined. The phenolic compounds in aloe samples were analyzed. Antioxidant capacities in oil-in-water emulsions following riboflavin photosensitization were analyzed using lipid hydroperoxide. AE had significantly higher antioxidant capacity than that of the other samples based on the DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC assays (p<0.05). Lipid hydroperoxide values of 5 mg/mL for AG, AE, and ALMF were 521.78, 272.32, and 699.89 mmol/kg oil, respectively, whereas that of samples without aloe vera was 893.07 mmol/kg oil over 48 h. AE had higher TPC and TFC values. Aloesin and aloin were found in AE, whereas those compounds were only found in trace amounts in AG and ALMF.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1606-1614
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• 2023

Biochemical gut metabolism of dietary bioactive compounds is of great significance in elucidating health-related issues at the molecular level. In this study, a human gut bacterium cleaving C-C glycosidic bond was screened from puerarin conversion to daidzein, and a new, gram-positive C-glycoside-deglycosylating strain, Dorea sp. MRG-IFC3, was isolated from human fecal sample under anaerobic conditions. Though MRG-IFC3 biotransformed isoflavone C-glycoside, it could not metabolize other C-glycosides, such as vitexin, bergenin, and aloin. As evident from the production of the corresponding aglycons from various 7-O-glucosides, MRG-IFC3 strain also showed 7-O-glycoside cleavage activity; however, flavone 3-O-glucoside icariside II was not metabolized. In addition, for mechanism study, C-glycosyl bond cleavage of puerarin by MRG-IFC3 strain was performed in D₂O GAM medium. The complete deuterium enrichment on C-8 position of daidzein was confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and the result clearly proved for the first time that daidzein is produced from puerarin. Two possible reaction intermediates, the quinoids and 8-dehydrodaidzein anion, were proposed for the production of daidzein-8d. These results will provide the basis for the mechanism study of stable C-glycosidic bond cleavage at the molecular level.