Aloe vera, uma planta de interesse do sistema único de saúde: revisão sistemática sobre os mecanismos pró-cicatriciais

Abstract

The aging of the Brazilian population is a reality, and this demographic transition is accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases and conditions, including skin diseases and injuries. These are considered a serious health problem. In Brazil, although there are few robust studies on the incidence and prevalence of injuries, their occurrences are high, ranging from 10.6% to 62%, depending on the study. The elderly, due to physiological cutaneous changes, are more susceptible to skin lesions, which, once established, require greater efforts for healing, as in addition to the expected changes, non-communicable chronic diseases collaborate to the chronicity of wounds. Given the context, the search for alternatives that can help in the treatment of skin lesions, optimizing tissue repair, is justified. Aloe vera (AV) is a plant widely used for healing and has been studied in search of evidence that its elements can help in the healing process. Given the magnitude of the problem of skin lesions and taking into account that aging skin is more likely to develop lesions and, consequently, more difficult to resolve them, reviewing and seeking scientific evidence on the causal mechanisms of VA benefits is relevant. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of VA, one of the medicinal plants present in the Unified Health System and its healing potential. A search was performed in PUBMED and Scielo databases, with the combination of the following descriptors: "Aloe vera" AND "Wound healing", "Aloe Vera and wound healing" "Aloe Vera Y Cicatrización de heridas, with a time frame of 10 years old. The following were excluded: articles that were not in English, Portuguese or Spanish, review articles, any study that associated Aloe vera with another molecule or plant; any and all articles whose main objective was not skin healing related to VA treatment. A total of 201 studies were identified, which, after screening for exclusion criteria, were reduced to 29 articles, which were read in full. Of these 14 were in vivo studies, 8 were clinical trials, 5 were in vitro studies and 2 were translational studies. The evidence produced indicates AV modulation in the inflammatory, proliferative, maturation and regeneration phases. Studies suggest that VA has pro-scarring actives in its constitution, which optimize tissue repair, by stimulating the migration and cell proliferation of leukocytes, fibroblasts and keratinocytes, induction of neoangiogenesis and collagen deposition.