Maan, Abid Aslam et al. “The Therapeutic Properties And Applications Of Aloe Vera: A Review”. Journal of Herbal Medicine, vol. 12, 2018, pp. 1-10.
This is a peer-reviewed academic article about the composition, rheology, processing, and pharmaceutical uses of aloe vera based on a literature review of over 12,000 documents from Scopus and Google Scholar. The authors are scholars from the Department of Food Engineering and the University of Agriculture in Pakistan. They state that aloe vera is considered the most potent and commercially important plant in the research field owing to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, immune-boosting, anti-aging, antihyperlipidemic, and anticancer properties. Furthermore, it is extensively used in the cosmetics industry and as a dietary and antimicrobial supplement in many food products. The authors provide a concise summary of aloe vera’s different uses that is easily comprehensible to the general audience. However, there is very little detail on their methodology; it is unclear whether there was any meaningful quality control and how many articles were analyzed.
Sánchez-Machado, Dalia I., López-Cervantes, Jaime, Sendón, Raquel, & Sanches-Silva, Ana. “Aloe Vera: Ancient Knowledge With New Frontiers”.Trends in Food Science & Technology, vol. 61, 2017, pp. 94-102.
This is a peer-reviewed academic overview of aloe vera’s composition, main biological activities, applications, and possible future trends geared toward a scientifically knowledgeable audience. The authors are from universities in Mexico, Spain, and Portugal, and have published numerous other articles about the health benefits and applications of other foods. Aloe vera is a perennial, drought-resisting plant that has been used since at least 2100 B.C.E. due to its wound-healing, laxative, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. However, the authors conclude that the relationship between aloe vera components and its therapeutic properties is still unclear, hindering the standardization of the processing conditions and the effectiveness of new products. Although Sánchez-Machado et al. have valuable insights, they did not provide any details on their methodology beyond calling it a systematic overview.