he Aloe genus, known and used in phytotherapy for thousands of years, continues to be of therapeutic interest from new points of view as well: in addition to its recognised laxative and disinfectant qualities, its immunostimulant, antiulcerogenous and ant i-tumoural characteristics mak e it worthy of closer study. Despite some terminological difficulties of a botanical and chemical nature, which hinder the identification of the drug and its derivatives, all the species of the genus seem to contain, with the natural variants, active ingredients of a similar chemical structure, which are divided into the two chemical groups of anthranoids and polysaccharides. Botanical, chemical and phytotherapeutic
research continues and, as far as possible, will be described here below for the purpose of facilitating its comprehension and topicality…