EFFECT OF ALOE VERA ON CORNEAL EPITHELIAL WOUND-HEALING

Corneal epithelial lesions of 6 mm diameter were made mechanically in the eyes of anesthetized albino rabbits. At intervals of 6 or 24 h the lesions were photographed after the application of a 1% fluorescein s olution. One eye received 50 mu l drops of bicarbonate Ringer three ti mes daily while the contralateral eye received aloe vera gel obtained directly from freshly cut leaves at the same time intervals as the Rin ger. No overt toxicity was observed to either aloe gel or Ringer with both pairs of eyes showing normality without redness or chemosis. Alth ough a statistically significant difference existed between the eyes a t 30 h, no difference was observed at any other time and healing was c omplete at 48 h in Ringer and aloe-treated eyes. Despite anecdotal rep orts of enhanced ocular healing, this quantitative examination showed no effect of aloe on the healing rate of a mechanically induced cornea l epithelial lesion.