Shima Jahani
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Title: Aloe vera effects on acute and chronic wound healing: A systematic review
Biography
Biography: Shima Jahani
Abstract
Although using Aloe vera is an ancient and traditional way for improving the wound healing process, clinical and molecular evidence still remained unclear. Up to now, several studies have assessed the efficacy of Aloe vera on healing. Systematic review on in vitro and in vivo studies including animal studies and clinical trials was conducted to determine the Aloe vera molecular interactions in damaged tissues and its effectiveness in clinic. We electronically searched related studies in PubMed, Cochrane Library and Scopus from 1918 till September 2017. Only papers discussing on healing activity of Aloe vera, aloe-derived products and a combination of Aloe vera and other dressings as a treatment of acute wounds specifically caused by lesions (in animal studies) or in post-surgery patients were included. There were no restrictions on any language of publication. Reviewer extracted data on study characteristics, patient characteristics, gross morphology of the intervention, frequency and duration and outcome measure. 41 studies were included in this review. In vitro studies showed that Aloe vera boosted the time and quality of wound healing by stimulating MMP 2, 3 and 9 vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor and even total collagen activity. In vivo studies demonstrated a significant difference in wound healing between control groups and aloe treated ones. Cumulative evidence on in vivo and in vitro studies ends to confirm that Aloe vera might be an effective intervention used in wound healing. Further, well-designed trials with adequate information should be conducted to determine the effectiveness of Aloe vera or its products.