Peer-Reviewed Professional Journals

· Corsi, M. M., et al. The therapeutic potential of Aloe Vera in tumor-bearing rats. Int J Tissue React. 20(4):115-118, 1998.

Aloe vera has been claimed to contain several important therapeutic properties, including anticancer effects. The effect of Aloe vera administration was studied on a pleural tumor in rat. Growth of Yoshida AH-130 ascite hepatoma cells injected (2 x 10(5) in 0.1 ml) into pleura of male inbred Fisher rats was evaluated at different times (7th and 14th days). The resulting data indicate that the use of Aloe vera proved a therapeutic method, and that the present experimental model could be useful in the study of other therapeutics treatments in vivo.

· Shamaan, N. A., et al. Vitamin C and Aloe vera supplementation protects from chemical hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat. Nutrition. 14(11-12):846-852, 1998.

Researchers deliberately induced liver cancer in male rats by administering them diethylnitrosamine and 2-acetylaminofluorene. After supplementing the rats with Aloe vera together with vitamin C, the rats experienced improvement in plasma and liver functions as early as one month after commencing Aloe vera treatment and as early as two months after commencing vitamin C treatment. Researchers concluded that both Aloe vera and vitamin C supplementation reduced the severity of carcinogen-induced liver cancer.

Laypersons’ Publications

· Chaddock, D. Aloe vera: a history of health. Vitamin Research News. June 2000.

Studies relating to Aloe vera and its effect on liver cancer have been promising.

Summary

· Two animal studies (in rats) have shown that oral Aloe vera inhibits the ability of known carcinogens to initiate liver cancer. One of these studies involved the concurrent administration of Aloe vera with vitamin C.