Since 1994, Mannatech has been an industry leader in the development of many innovative, effective Aloe vera gel-based dietary supplements and skin care products.  So, when the Natural Products Insider—a trade publication for marketers, manufacturers and formulators of dietary supplements, healthy foods and cosmeceuticals—was looking for industry leaders to share their thoughts about Aloe vera, it’s not surprising that Mannatech’s Co-CEO and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Rob Sinnott, was invited to participate in the discussion. The resulting publication, “Aloe Veritas,” provides a comprehensive look at all things aloe, including the plant’s long history of use, economic impact (generating over $12 million in sales in 2010), topical and oral effects, and regulatory issues.

The polysaccharide acemannan was frequently mentioned as the gel constituent critically important for product effects. Bill McAnalley, the inventor of Mannatech’s Ambrotose^® complex, first patented the extraction and applications of acemannan from aloe gel and named this compound. Today, the International Aloe Science Council (IASC) has a program that verifies whether or not products contain Aloe vera gel based on a test for acemannan.

Validating Quality in Today’s Aloe Vera Products

Dr. Sinnott expressed his concerns about poor quality aloe products in the market: “We have long been aware of the prevalence of adulterated Aloe vera gel commercial products. Such products have typically been found to contain little (or no) Aloe vera gel, do not have the expected sugar profiles or are contaminated with aloe latex. Aloe latex, the bitter yellow sap from the outer skin of the leaf, contains hydroxyanthracene derivatives, including aloins, and is an OTC laxative drug. Numerous organizations that express concerns about the safety of Aloe vera gel intake often err by including effects of whole-leaf products known to contain aloin.” A high-quality aloe gel product should contain less than 10 ppm aloin.

To validate product quality, Mannatech has submitted its Aloe vera gel powders to an independent laboratory for detailed chemical analyses and also conducts product ingredient analyses in house. All of Mannatech’s product suppliers are approved through a vendor-qualification process. This includes supplier questionnaires, on-site audits and certificate of analysis (C of A) verification on initial lots. Each subsequent lot is evaluated upon receipt. An independent laboratory recently tested all Mannatech’s products that contain Aloe vera gel powders to ensure they are aloin-free. This laboratory, which is able to detect aloin at levels as low as 0.6 ppm, was unable to detect it in any Mannatech product.

Mannatech’s Role in Aloe Vera Literature

Recognizing the key role that its Aloe vera gel powders play in product efficacy, Mannatech has been consistently expanding the scientific literature on Aloe vera gel. During the past decade, Mannatech scientists have published articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented posters about Aloe vera gel at scientific meetings, particularly the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine’s Annual Natural Supplements Conference. These studies have described:

• Digestion of Aloe vera gel by human fecal bacteria—preliminary data from this research received first prize at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine’s 4th Annual Natural Supplements Conference’s pre-clinical research poster competition in 2007
• Aloe vera gel chemical profiles (molecular weight [MW] and total carbohydrates and other constituents) and carbohydrate composition (total sugars and free sugars)—research conducted by carbohydrate chemistry experts at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Athens, Georgia
• Digestion of Aloe vera gel by specific gastrointestinal tract bacterial enzymes
• Effects of processing techniques on Aloe vera gel saccharide composition, MW and particle size distributions

More details about these specific studies can be found on MannatechScience.org.

Jane Ramberg is the Director of Product Science for Mannatech, Incorporated.