Aloe Extract Eases Constipation

FORT HARE, South AfricaAn extract of Aloe ferox Mill. (also known as bitter aloe) compared favorably to standard laxative on various aspects of constipation, according to a recent trial conducted at the University of Fort Hare. Published in BMC Gastroenterology journal (2010;10(1):95), the research involved Wistar rats constipated by oral administration of loperamide (3 mg/kg body weight), with control rats given only saline. The constipated rats were then treated daily with 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of the aloe extract for seven days, during which researchers monitored feeding characteristics, body weight, fecal properties and gastrointestinal transit ratio.

Constipated rats treated with aloe showed improved intestinal motility, increased fecal volume and normalized body weight, with the 200 mg/kg dose showing the best efficacy. The researchers concluded Aloe ferox Mill. compared well with senokot, a standard laxative drug, and lend scientific credence to the folkloric use of the herb as a laxative agent by the people of the Eastern Cape of South Africa.