Aloin
Compiled from published pharmacological and botanical literature. Not independently verified by Herbuno. Spotted an error or have a correction? Flag it below →
| Chemical Class | Anthraquinone C-glycoside (anthrone glycoside) |
| Molecular Formula / CAS | C₂₁H₂₂O₉ · CAS 1415-73-2 |
| Primary Botanical Source(s) | Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) — and most Aloe species generally. Also known as barbaloin — the same compound, not a separate one. |
| Plant Part | Latex — the bitter yellow exudate beneath the leaf rind, distinct from the clear inner gel |
| Typical Content | The principal anthraquinone of aloe latex; concentrations differ roughly 100-fold between whole-leaf and decolorized (latex-removed) extract |
| Solubility / Format | Available as a standardised isolate powder |
| Sourcing Status | Product-live — genuine match via Herbuno’s aloe vera extract line |
| Buy from Herbuno | Aloin 95% Powder (Aloe Vera Extract) |
Name origin: Aloin takes its name directly from the genus Aloe, describing the anthraquinone glycoside characteristic of the latex layer found in most aloe species. Traditional use: Aloe latex has been used as a purgative and stimulant laxative across Egyptian, Greek, Arabic and Indian medical traditions for millennia — among the longest continuously documented single uses of any HerbIQ compound — valued specifically for the strong bowel-stimulating effect that modern chemistry has traced to aloin and its bacterial breakdown product, aloe-emodin. Research trajectory: Aloin’s laxative mechanism was well characterised through the 20th century, but research direction shifted sharply in the early 2000s following regulatory reassessment of its long-term safety; more recent research has explored aloin’s antitumor, iron-chelating and hepatoprotective activity in isolated, controlled contexts distinct from its historical laxative use. Commercial source: Aloe vera latex is the standard commercial source of aloin, and Herbuno’s standardised extract reflects this well-established, genuine botanical match; formulators should note the significant regulatory history detailed below before positioning any aloin-containing product.
Evidence for Aloin Applications
Aloin is converted by gut bacteria into aloe-emodin, which stimulates colonic motility and fluid secretion, producing the classic stimulant-laxative effect long associated with aloe latex. This well-established mechanism is the basis of aloin’s traditional and historical pharmaceutical use, though its modern regulatory status has changed substantially, discussed below. Claim strength: High (mechanism).
In May 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that aloe-latex-containing laxative ingredients, including aloin, were no longer generally recognised as safe and effective for over-the-counter use, removing them from OTC laxative products in the United States due to insufficient safety data and concern regarding potential carcinogenicity (NCCIH). This regulatory action is the single most important fact for any formulator to understand before sourcing aloin, and it distinguishes aloin sharply from most other HerbIQ compounds, few of which carry an outright historical regulatory withdrawal. Claim strength: High (regulatory).
A three-month rat drinking-water toxicity study comparing non-decolorized (high-anthraquinone) and decolorized (aloin-depleted, <0.1 ppm total anthraquinone) whole-leaf aloe extract found that high-anthraquinone material was associated with colon adenomas and carcinomas and increased diarrhoea in prior comparable studies, while the decolorized extract showed no observed adverse effect even at very high doses, directly implicating the anthraquinone (aloin) fraction specifically as the source of the colonic toxicity signal rather than the aloe plant material generally (et al. 2019). Claim strength: Moderate.
Separate from its laxative and toxicity profile, isolated aloin has shown antitumor activity in preclinical research, including iron-chelating and non-atherogenic properties, and studies have reported aloin enhances cisplatin’s antineoplastic activity in melanoma cell models and protects against chronic alcoholic liver injury in mice by reducing lipid accumulation, oxidative stress and inflammation (Esmat et al. 2015). These findings remain at the preclinical cell- and animal-model stage and should not be read as offsetting the laxative-safety concerns discussed above, which apply specifically to oral, unsupervised, chronic exposure. Claim strength: Emerging.
For formulators, the critical distinction is between aloe vera gel (the clear inner leaf material, essentially free of aloin, used in most cosmetic and wellness aloe products) and aloe latex (the aloin-rich yellow exudate). A product specification calling for “aloe vera extract” without clarifying gel versus latex, or without stating aloin content specifically, carries genuine ambiguity about which of these two very different safety and regulatory profiles applies. Claim strength: High.
Dosage & Formulator Specification
Historical stimulant-laxative use of aloin ranged from roughly 20–40 mg/day in adults, but this dosing precedent predates the 2002 FDA safety ruling and should not be treated as current guidance; no validated, currently-endorsed human dosing range exists for oral aloin in any major regulatory framework at this time.
Analytical quantification of aloin is performed by HPLC, and because aloin exists as two diastereomers (aloin A and aloin B) that are typically reported together, formulators should request total-aloin HPLC data along with confirmation of extraction source (latex versus whole leaf versus decolorized gel) given how dramatically anthraquinone content varies between these material types.
Non-ingestible applications — research use, analytical reference standards, or formulations not intended for oral human consumption — represent the clearest current use case for standardised aloin material, given the regulatory history discussed above; formulators considering topical or oral consumer-product use should conduct independent, market-specific regulatory review before proceeding.
Regulatory positioning for aloin varies significantly by market and has changed materially over time: the U.S. FDA’s 2002 ruling removed aloin-containing ingredients from OTC laxative status, and formulators should not assume aloe-vera-derived ingredient status generally extends safety clearance to the aloin/latex fraction specifically. Aloin should also be avoided during pregnancy and lactation per available safety literature.
Frequently Asked Questions — Aloin
No, and this distinction matters. Aloe vera gel is the clear inner leaf material used in most cosmetic and wellness products and is essentially free of aloin. Aloin comes specifically from aloe latex, the bitter yellow exudate beneath the leaf rind, and the two carry very different safety and regulatory profiles.
In May 2002 the FDA ruled that aloe-latex laxative ingredients, including aloin, were no longer generally recognised as safe and effective for OTC use, citing insufficient safety data and concern about potential carcinogenicity based on toxicology findings.
Preclinical studies have reported antitumor, iron-chelating and liver-protective activity for isolated aloin in cell and animal models. These findings remain at an early research stage and do not offset the separate safety concerns associated with oral, unsupervised laxative-dose exposure.
Always specify gel versus latex, and request aloin-content HPLC data specifically. Anthraquinone concentration can differ by roughly a hundredfold between whole-leaf and decolorized (latex-removed) aloe extract, so a generic “aloe vera extract” specification does not reliably indicate which safety profile applies.
Related compounds: Acemannan, Salicin