Effects of Aloe vera in adults with mucocutaneous problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims To analyse the different types of Aloe vera (AV) effects on various mucocutaneous problems among adults. Design A systematic review and meta-analysis. Data Sources An exhaustive scanning of PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases was conducted from January 2000-December 2019. Review Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) publishing reports on the effects of AV in various mucocutaneous problems, psoriasis, burn, wound-healing were included. The standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence Intervals (CIs) were determined for the main outcomes, heterogeneity was analysed using the I-2 test and the risk of bias in the studies was reviewed by the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Results The study included 23 trials with a total of 4,023 participants. Six trials were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated no significant differences in pain scores as assessed by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) (SMD = 0.11, 95% CI: -0.37 to 0.59). The Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scores were significantly lower following AV gel application in two of the studies (SMD = -1.32 95% CI: -1.86 to -0.78). Considering results in a systematic manner, AV accelerated tissue epithelialization and wound-healing process (N = 3), reduced oral mucositis (N = 3), and improved quality of life (N = 1). Conclusion AV might have beneficial effects in reducing pain scores and the severity of mucocutaneous problems compared with placebo, especially with limited mild to moderate adverse effects. Impact AV may be used as an alternative and integrative approach to reducing symptom severity in mucocutaneous problems and the wound-healing process. High quality and well-designed RCTs are still needed to elucidate the effects of AV in a variety of dosages and forms among adults with mucocutaneous problems.