This is a preliminary study that explores the efficacy of
Aloe vera gel formulation as a possible therapeutic agent in the prevention and management of
polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is recognized as the most common endocrinopathy of women. Increased
androgen synthesis, disrupted folliculogenesis, and
insulin resistance lie at the patho-physiological core of PCOS. Current
therapy for such a syndrome is use of
insulin sensitizers. Large randomized clinical trials of
metformin as the
insulin-sensitizing
drug, however, suggested that it produces many side effects after prolonged usage. For this reason, an alternate
therapy would be to use herbs with
hypoglycemic potential. Aloe barbadensis Mill. (Liliaceae) popularly known as Aloe vera is a well-known plant with such properties. The present study evaluated the efficacy of
Aloe vera gel formulation in a PCOS rat model. Five month old Charles Foster female rats were orally fed with
letrozole, a non-steroidal
aromatase inhibitor, to induce PCOS. The rats were then treated orally with the
Aloe vera gel formulation (1 ml dose daily for 45 days). This restored their estrus cyclicity,
glucose sensitivity, and steroidogenic activity. Co-treatment of the inductive agent (
letrozole) with the
Aloe vera gel prevented the development of the PCO phenotype.
Aloe vera gel formulation exerts a protective effect in against the PCOS phenotype by restoring the ovarian
steroid status, and altering key steroidogenic activity. This can be attributed to phyto-components present in the extract.