Abstract
The effect of Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. (Aloe barbadensis
Miller) gel and whole leaf extract on the permeability
of Caco-2 cell monolayers was determined.
Solutions of gel and the whole leaf extract
were applied to the cell monolayers, and the
transepithelial electrical resistance was monitored
for 2 hours, which was then continued for
another 2 hours after removal of the test solutions
to measure reversibility of the effect. The transport
of insulin in the presence and absence of the
A. vera gel and whole leaf extract solutionswas also
investigated. Both the A. vera gel and whole leaf
extract were able to significantly reduce the
transepithelial electrical resistance of the Caco-2
cell monolayers at concentrations above 0.5% w/
v and thereby showed the ability to open tight
junctions between adjacent cells. This effect was
fully reversible, as the electrical resistance of the
cell monolayers returned to the original value
upon removal of the test solutions. The A. vera
gel and whole leaf extract solutions significantly
enhanced the transport of insulin across the Caco-
2 cell monolayers compared with the control.
The results suggest that these plant products have
a high potential to be used as absorption enhancers
in novel dosage forms for drugs with poor
bioavailabilities when administered orally. On the
other hand, an uncontrolled increase in the bioavailability
of drugs that are taken simultaneously
with A. vera gel and whole leaf extract products
may result in adverse effects, and the potential
exists that toxic blood plasma levels may be
reached.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1001728 |
| Date | 30 April 2009 |
| Creators | Weiyang,C, Viljoen, A, Hammana, J, Lu, z |
| Publisher | Planta Medica |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | |
| Rights | © Georg Thieme Verlag KG |
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