The glucomannan content of Aloe vera gel was measured by a novel method using a bentonite suspension that floc-culates upon mixing with gels prepared by hand filleting of aloe leaf. An optimum flocculation condition was deter-mined to be Aloe vera gel diluted in the range of 2 to 5-fold and then a bentonite suspension 1% (w/v) mixed withthe gel sample in the ratio of 8:2 (v/v) to provide a mixture volume of 10mL with the length to diameter ratio of5. Under the conditions of these experiments, a rapid settling (<3 min) of more than 90% of the bentonite wasachieved only when the aloe gel sample was properly diluted. The glucomannan concentrations in various dilutedsamples with the highest settling rates were identified in the range of 195.7±21.4mg/L; thus, the results indicate thatthe glucomannan content may be determined from the dilution rate of the aloe gel sample that exhibits the highestsettling rate. This study provides a simple, rapid, and cost-effective assay for the estimation of the glucomannanlevel in raw Aloe vera gel.

Two fractions (permeate and retentate) from fiber free Aloe vera gel were prepared using an ultra-filtration (UF) system with a tubular ceramic membrane (MWCO of 50 kDa), and their dilute solution properties were investigated. The intrinsic viscosities of fiber free Aloe vera gel and the retentate and permeate fractions that were prepared by ultra-filtration were 18.48, 37.74, and 2.01 dL/g, respectively. UF aloe retentate as a polysaccharide rich fraction exhibited polyelectrolyte behavior showing a sharp decrease of intrinsic viscosity by the addition of NaCl. However, as its NaCl concentration increasing to 1 M, its intrinsic viscosity slightly increased due to conformational change caused by the high concentration of NaCl. On the one hand, the intrinsic viscosities of the dilute UF-retentate solution were exponentially decreased with increasing temperature, and the temperature dependency of its intrinsic viscosity showed a sharp discontinuity at 30oC instead of a linear Arrhenius behaviour, indicating a variation of flow mechanism or network rearrangement of a molecular chain. The chain stiffness of polysaccharide rich fraction at bellow and above 0.5 M of NaCl addition was 0.048 and 0.515, respectively, showing different stiffenings and significant conformational change. The coil overlap parameter and critical concentration of UF-retentate were 3.0 and 0.08 g/dL, respectively.

Two fractions (permeate and retentate) from fiber-free Aloe vera gel were separated using ultra-filtration (UF) system with tubular ceramic membrane (MWCO of 50 kDa), and their molecular properties were investigated. The retentate of UF Aloe gel was a polysaccharide-rich fraction containing about 2.3-fold higher polysaccharide content than fiber-free gel. The FT-IR and 1H NMR spectra of this fraction showed the characteristic patterns of β-binding polysaccharide and a higher degree of acetylation indicating a higher level of bioactive polysaccharide content. The molecular weight and polydispersity of polysaccharide fraction from GPC (gel permeation chromatography) were determined to be 36.8-43.9 kDa and 1.24, respectively, indicating a kind of undispersed polysaccharide. From the SEM observation, the surface structure of polysaccharide fraction had a gel cluster-like structure with a convoluted rough surface. The molecular conformation by Congo red assay exhibited a property of helix structure confirming the existence of a higher-ordered structure as a biological activity conformation.

The optimization of dewatering and impregnation soaking (DIS) process for a concentrated Aloe vera product was investigated using Taguchi method in combination with desirability function analysis. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) as osmotic agent was adopted, and soaking temperature (T), immersion time (t), PEG concentration (C), PEG molecular weight (MW), and thickness of Aloe vera leaf slice (x) were selected as affecting variables. L16 (45) orthogonal array was designed by Taguchi method with four parameters such as water loss, solid gain, glucomannan, and anthraquinone contents as objective functions. An overall quality index was transformed from individual objective functions, and was optimized finally. The optimal setting for maximum overall desirability was obtained at 55oC (T), 2 hr (t), 40% w/v (C), 0.5 cm (x), and 4,000 Da. (MW). The obtained overall desirability was 0.7842. The order of affecting factors was T>C>x>MW≈x>t and the experimental results under optimum condition were similar to the prediction of an overall desirability of 0.8384. Also, it was found that the optimized DIS condition could be reproduced for a minimally processed Aloe vera product with high quality.

This study intented to standardize the method for total polysaccharide, which is a functional marker for aloe vera gel in Korea. We used four lyophilized raw materials and commercial aloe gel products, certified as Health Functional Food by Korea Food and Drug Administration, including powder, solution, jelly, tablet and capsule, to optimize the analytical condition of dialysis and phenol-sulfuric acid reaction in polysaccharide analysis. The optimal conditions for polysaccharide analysis included 1 L water for dialysis and change 3 times for 24hr against 25 mL prepared sample solution. Validation test showed lower than 5% of coefficient of variation(CV) in intra-, interday validation in lyophilized raw materials and 4 types of commercial products. In inter-person and inter-laboratory validation with 4 persons from 4 different laboratories, CV(%) were 5.50 and 6.64 respectively. The linearity of polysaccharide analysis was assessed using 5 serial concentration of lyophilized raw materials(0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5%(w/v)). The results showed R2 ≥ 0.995 of high linearity. In the commercial aloe vera gel products, the results of reproductivity showed lower than 7.08% and revealed that the standardized method from this study ensured high precision for polysaccharide analysis.

A fiber fraction (Aloe cellulose), the by-product obtained from Aloe vera gel processing was freeze dried and investigated for in vitro glucose/ bile acid retarding effects of powdered sample (100 mesh) comparing with commercial α-cellulose as a reference sample. We also examined the effectiveness of physiological functionality such as the antiobesity and anti-constipation on Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat. The Aloe cellulose powders during in vitro dialysis experiment for 2 hours exhibited the glucose and bile acid retarding index of 20.32-35.2% and 53.13-28.30%, respectively. Especially, freeze dried aloe cellulose showed the 2.5 and 1.2-6 times higher effect on in vitro glucose and bile acid retardation than those of α-cellulose. These relatively good retarding effects on glucose and bile acid diffusion suggest a potential of preventing from diabetes and arteriosclerosis of some extent. Also, the results from animal experiments on SD rats fed a high-fat diet for 4 weeks suggested that Aloe cellulose might be used as a novel dietary fiber showing an effective anti-obesity and anti-constipation effect.

The fibrous material fraction as a by-product from the commercial aloe vera gel processing was obtained and freeze dried. The physicochemical characteristics such as the proximate composition, crystalline/surface structures and several physical functionalities including the water holding capacity (WHC), swelling capacity (SW), oil holding capacity (OHC), emulsion/foam properties and viscosity properties of this powdered sample (100 mesh) were investigated and analyzed by comparison with commercial α-cellulose as a reference sample. The total dietary fiber content of powdered sample was very high as much as 87.5%, and the insoluble dietary and soluble dietary fiber content ratios were 77.6 and 22.4%, respectively. The FT-IR spectrum of powdered sample showed a typical polysaccharide property and exhibited a x-ray diffraction pattern for cellulose III and IV like structure. SW (8.24±0.15 mL/g), WHC(6.40±0.19 g water/g solid) and OHC(10.32±0.29 g oil/g solid) of freeze dried aloe cellulose were about 3.3, 1.4 and 2 times higher than those of commercial α-cellulose, respectively. Aloe cellulose (~2%, w/v) alone had no foam capacity while improved the foam stability of protein solution (1% albumin+0.5% CaCl2) by factor of 300%. Emulsion capacity of 2%(w/v) aloe cellulose was about 70% level of 0.5%(w/v) xanthan gum, but its emulsion stability was about 1.2 times higher than that of xanthan gum. Also, aloe cellulose containing CMC (carboxyl methyl cellulose) of 0.3%(w/v) showed a very good dispersity. Aloe cellulose dispersion of above 1%(w/v) exhibited higher pseudoplasticity and concentration dependence than those of α-cellulose dispersion, indicating the viscosity properties for new potential usage such as an excellent thickening agent.

In vitro physiological functions such as jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) urease inhibitory activity and retarding effect of glucose/bile acid of Aloe vera gel concentrated by the optimized DIS (Dewatering Impregnation & Soaking) process conditions were examined. Urease inhibitory activity of DIS aloes ranged from 84.6 to 94.4%, which was similar to or higher than 86.3% of fresh aloe. Also, urease inhibitory activity of DIS aloes was maintained at initial levels after heat treatment (90oC, 10 min.) and drying treatment (freeze or hot air drying). Urease inhibition pattern from Lineweaver-Burk plot indicated general non-competitive inhibition, and inhibition constants (KIE and KIES) of DIS aloes were 41-149 and 87-163 μL/mL, respectively. DIS(glucose) and DIS (polyethylene glycol) exhibited the highest retarding effect of glucose and bile acid. Their retarding effects were about 1.6 and 1.8 folds higher than that of fresh aloe after 0.5 and 1 hr of the dialysis, respectively. Conclusively, the above in vitro physiological functions of Aloe vera gel concentrated by DIS process suggested that aloe products treated with DIS would have the potential benefits for protection against Helicobacter pylori and reduction of blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

Aloe gel의 동결건조에 농축도가 서로 다른 액상 시료를 사용하였을 때 건조분말의 기능성 변화를 비교분석하였다. Aloe의 많은 기능성 중에서 유효 다당류의 농도, 기능성 작용기에 대한 FT-IR 특성, Jack bean urease 저해 효과, FAC(fat adsorption capacity)를 대상으로 하였다. 농축도가 높은 경우에 유효 다당류의 농도, urease 저해 효과, FAC 모두 상대적으로 크게 나타났다. FT-IR의 분석에서는 농축도가 높은 경우에 glucomannan의 acetyl 기에 대한 spectrum 영역인 1600-1550 cm-1와 1450-1400 cm-1에서 흡광도가 크게 관찰되었다. 결과적으로 Aloe gel의 동결건조 시 전처리과정인 농축 공정에서는 농축도가 높을수록 유효 다당류의 양과 acetyl기 함량의 수준이 크며, 간접적으로 urease 저해 효과에 따른 Helicobacter pylori의 억제 및 FAC의 증가 효과를 보였다.

The structural and physicochemical properties of dried aloe vera gel by DIS (dewatering impregnation soaking) process under optimum conditions were investigated. FT-IR spectra for dried samples of DIS aloes showed the typical patterns of standard aloe polysaccharide, and surface structures by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) were similar to a gel-like structure. In case of physicochemical properties of dried aloe samples by DIS process, solubilities and swelling powers of control (not osmotic treated aloe), DIS (S) and DIS (G), samples treated by osmotic solution of 60% sucrose/0.25% NaCl and 50% glucose/0.5% NaCl, were 48.3-57.3% and 8.3-11.7%, respectively, showing no significant differences among samples, but swelling power of DIS (PEG), sample treated by using 50% polyethylene glycol as an osmotic agent was about 5 times higher that of control. Also, water holding capacities of control, DIS (S) and DIS (G) were similar to each other, but that of DIS (PEG) was about 5 times higher that of control. Oil holding capacities of control and DIS aloes maintained the 50.9-86.4% levels of water holding capacities showing no significant differences among samples. Rehydration ratio of DIS (PEG) aloes were significantly dependent on the temperature of rehydrated solvent (water), and rehydration ratio of not-fileted aloe was about two folds higher than that of fileted aloe.