Evaluation of the agronomic quality and leaf extracts of Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f.
Keywords:
Aloe vera; agronomic quality; ethanolic extract; bioactive metabolites.Abstract
Aloe vera [Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f.] is of great importance due to its multiple applications. The objective of this article is to evaluate the agronomic quality of the Aloe vera cultivated in La Victoria farm and of the ethanolic extracts obtained from different parts of the leaf. In the 35-month-old plantation, the following variables were evaluated: number of leaves with some type of damage, length, width and mass of basal leaves. The ethanolic extracts, prepared at 20 %, from the gel and the external part of the leaves, were measured for chemical-physical parameters. On average, mechanical damage was observed on five leaves per plant. Although the leaves reached the length required by international standards, the same did not happen with the width and mass of the leaves, which indicates the need to improve the agro-technology of the crop. The extract from the external part of the leaf exceeded the gel extract in the amount of total solids, polysaccharide content and total phenols; however, neither of the two extracts met all the specifications for use in the formulation of aloe-based nutritional supplements. The data suggest using both layers of the leaf and increasing the mass concentration of the extract to increase the content of the compounds of interest, as well as evaluating other extraction methods and culture conditions that enhance the production of bioactive metabolites.
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