Polysaccharides from Aloe Leaf Mucilage as Potential Immunological-based Anti-fertility Agents

Mucilaginous exudates from Aloe leaf containing polysaccharides, of which the major proportion has been reported to be composed of acetylated mannose molecules such as Acemannan and other high molecular weight polysaccharides. These polysaccharides, have been reported to elevate the Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GMCSF) ultimately leading to the infiltration of macrophages at respective sites. This immunological property has been exploited to test the efficacy of dried aloe mucilaginous extract containing these high molecular weight polysaccharides for anti-fertility activity. The polysaccharides were extracted by ethanol precipitation method. The suspension of extract in aqueous medium was prepared under aseptic environment to ensure the desired sterility. Characterization of extract was done by spectrophotometry and IR spectroscopy. The results suggest the presence of biologically active polysaccharides. The preliminary finding of the experiment confirms the antifertility activity in rats. However, a mild edema was observed in the uterine horns of the test group animals which subsequently reduced in severity upon reducing the dose. The cause of the oedema could be attributed to the excessive endometrial macrophage infiltration and probably due to the IL-1 stimulation at higher doses. INTRODUCTION: Aloe vera is a perennial plant with turgid green leaves joined at the stem in a rosette pattern. The leaves of a mature plant may be more than 25 inches long with saw-like spikes along their margins. Aloe vera contains two major liquid sources, yellow latex (exudates) and the clear gel (mucilage). The dried exudates of Aloe barbadensis Miller leaves is referred to as aloe. Aloe mucilage has been reported to contain 98.599.2% water and 0.8 to 1.5% solid content primarily comprised of mucilage, fiber, monosaccharide, polysaccharides, proteins, ash, fats, aloin (irritating principle) and resin; of which the polysaccharides have been reported to constitute the major fraction. The aloe mucilage has been used in folks in treatment of burns, insect stings, bruises, wounds etc. It has been found medically to possess variety of properties like anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcer etc. . Acemannan has been reported to dominate the composition among solid contents . It is a βlinked (14) glycosidic polymer containing repeating mannose units with acetyl groups present irregularly.