Aloe
»Aloe is the dried latex of the leaves of Aloe barbadensisMiller (Aloe veraLinné),known in commerce as Curaçao Aloe,or of Aloe feroxMiller and hybrids of this species with Aloe africanaMiller and Aloe spicataBaker,known in commerce as Cape Aloe (Fam.Liliaceae).
Aloe yields not less than 50.0percent of water-soluble extractive.
Botanic characteristics—
Curaçao Aloe—
Brownish black,opaque masses.Its fractured surface is uneven,waxy,and somewhat resinous.
Cape Aloe—
Dusky to dark brown irregular masses,the surfaces of which are often covered with a yellowish powder.Its fracture is smooth and glassy.
Powdered Aloe—
Yellow,yellowish brown to olive-brown in color.When mounted in a bland expressed oil,it appears as greenish yellow to reddish brown angular or irregular fragments,the hues of which depend to some extent upon the thickness of the fragments.
Identification—
A:
Powdered Aloe dissolves in nitric acid with effervescence,forming a reddish brown to brown or green solution.
B:
Intimately mix in a flask or bottle 1g of finely powdered Aloe with 25mLof cold water,shake the mixture occasionally during 2hours,transfer to a filter,and wash the filter and residue with sufficient cold water to make the filtrate measure 100mL:the color of the filtrate,viewed in the bulb of a 100-mLvolumetric flask,is dark orange with Curaçao Aloe,and greenish yellow with Cape Aloe.The filtrate darkens on standing.
C:
To 5mLof the filtrate obtained in Identificationtest Badd 2mLof nitric acid:the mixture exhibits a reddish orange color with Curaçao Aloe,and a reddish brown color which changes rapidly to green with Cape Aloe.
D:
Mix 10mLof the filtrate obtained in Identificationtest Bwith 2mLof ammonium hydroxide:the mixture exhibits an amber color with Cape Aloe,and a dark amber color with Curaçao Aloe.
Water,Method IIIá921ñ:
not more than 12.0%,determined by drying at 105
for 5hours.For Aloe that is not powdered,crush it in a mortar until it passes through a No.40sieve,and mix the ground material before weighing the sample.
for 5hours.For Aloe that is not powdered,crush it in a mortar until it passes through a No.40sieve,and mix the ground material before weighing the sample.
Total ash á561ñ:
not more than 4.0%.
Alcohol-insoluble substances—
Add about 1g of powdered Aloe,accurately weighed,to 50mLof alcohol in a flask.Heat the mixture to boiling,and maintain at incipient boiling for 15minutes,replacing any loss by evaporation.Remove from the heat,and shake the mixture at intervals during 1hour,pass through a small dried and tared filter paper or a dried and tared filtering crucible,and wash the residue on the filter with alcohol until the last washing is colorless.Dry the residue at 105to constant weight:the weight of the residue does not exceed 10.0%of the weight of Aloe taken.
to constant weight:the weight of the residue does not exceed 10.0%of the weight of Aloe taken.
Assay—
Macerate about 2g of Aloe,accurately weighed,in about 70mLof water in a suitable flask.Shake the mixture during 8hours at 30-minute intervals,and allow it to stand for 16hours without shaking.Filter,and wash the flask and residue with small portions of water,passing the washings through the filter,until the filtrate measures 100.0mL.Evaporate a 50-mLaliquot of the filtrate in a tared dish on a steam bath to dryness,and dry at 110to constant weight.The weight of water-soluble extractive so obtained is not less than 50.0%of the weight of Aloe taken.
to constant weight.The weight of water-soluble extractive so obtained is not less than 50.0%of the weight of Aloe taken.
Auxiliary Information—
Staff Liaison:Gabriel I.Giancaspro,Ph.D.,Senior Scientist and Latin American Specialist
Expert Committee:(DSB)Dietary Supplements:Botanicals
USP28–NF23Page 68
Phone Number:1-301-816-8343