Assessment of the Efficacy of Aloe Vera Resin Extract as an Anti-Diabetic Foot Ulceration Agent

Abstract

A diabetic foot ulcer is one of the most significant and devastating complications of diabetes. DFU is considered a major source of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. Therefore, this study aimed to test the possibility of using Aloe Vera resin extract as an antibacterial agent (Libyan remedy) against isolated bacteria from a patient's foot. This study was concerned with the determination of the possible microbial causative of the diabetic foot ulcer; therefore, its design included microorganism isolation, identification, and finally, testing of the antibacterial activity of Aloe Vera resin against bacteria isolated from diabetic foot ulcers. Curiously, the results demonstrated that every antibiotic used in this experiment created inhibition zones against the bacteria that were isolated from patients' feet and had a pronounced resistance to the extract from aloe vera resin. In contrast, aloe vera resin extract created inhibition zones against bacteria isolated from healthy feet in comparison to the other widely used, well-known broad-spectrum antibiotics. The pathogen that was isolated from the patient's feet, according to our lab results, was Staphylococcus bacteria. Aloe Vera resin extract had no inhibition zones against Staphylococcus species bacteria that were collected from patient feet, which contradicted the hypothesis that Aloe Vera is a good antibacterial agent that could be used to prevent diabetic foot ulcers. Nonetheless, it demonstrated a slight antibacterial effect on normal flora foot bacteria. Bacterial resistance due to possible mutations could be the cause of this. It is also important to take into account the anti-inflammatory properties of aloe Vera resin extract