Aloe barbadensis: how a miraculous plant becomes reality

Aloe barbadensis Miller is a plant that is native to North and East Africa and has accompanied man for over 5,000 years. The aloe vera plant has been endowed with digestive, dermatological, culinary and cosmetic virtues. On this basis, aloe provides a range of possibilities for fascinating studies from several points of view, including the analysis of chemical composition, the biochemistry involved in various activities and its application in pharmacology, as well as from horticultural and economic standpoints. The use of aloe vera as a medicinal plant is mentioned in numerous ancient texts such as the Bible. This multitude of medicinal uses has been described and discussed for centuries, thus transforming this miracle plant into reality. A summary of the historical uses, chemical composition and biological activities of this species is presented in this review. The latest clinical studies involved in vivo and in vitro assays conducted with aloe vera gel or its metabolites and the results of these studies are reviewed

H + CH{sub 2}CO {yields} CH{sub 3} + CO at high temperature : a high pressure chemical activation reaction with positive barrier.

The Laser Photolysis-Shock Tube (LP-ST) technique coupled with H-atom atomic resonance absorption spectrometry (ARAS) has been used to study reaction, H + CH{sub 2}CO {r_arrow} CH{sub 3} + CO, over the temperature range, 863-1400 K. The results can be represented by the Arrhenius expression, k = (4.85 {+-} 0.70) x 10{sup {minus}11} exp({minus}2328 {+-} 155 K/T) cm{sup 3} molecule{sup {minus}1} s{sup {minus}1}. The present data have been combined with the earlier low temperature flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence measurements to yield a joint three parameter expression, k = 5.44 x 10{sup {minus}14} T{sup 0.8513} exp({minus}1429 K/T) cm{sup 3} molecule{sup {minus}1} s{sup {minus}1}. This is a chemical activation process that proceeds through vibrationally excited acetyl radicals. However, due to the presence of a low lying forward dissociation channel to CH{sub 3} + CO, the present results refer to the high pressure limiting rate constants. Hence, transition state theory with Eckart tunneling is used to explain the data