Aloe and its Effects on Cancer: A Narrative Literature Review

Abstract

Many years ago, Aloe Vera was cited to have a lot of therapeutic properties including; anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, skin protection, wound healing, and regulation of blood glucose and cholesterol. However, Aloe could present some side effects. This review focused on the latest discoveries regarding the therapeutic role of Aloe plant or its compounds on the acquired biological capabilities for tumour growth and progression namely; evading growth suppressor, avoiding immune destruction, enabling replicative immortality, tumour promoting inflammation, activating invasion and metastasis, inducing angiogenesis, genome instability and mutation, resisting cell death, deregulating cellular energetics and sustaining proliferating signalling. It clarified the anti-cancer activities it exerts on different types of cancer and also highlighted some pro-oncogenic pathways that can be disrupted by different compounds of Aloe.