Bitter aloe

Mature plants form a rosette of thick, spiny leaves above a persistent skirt of old leaves. Branched flower heads carry orange-red to yellow flowers and are conspicuous in the dry season. The species occupies several vegetation types and often persists in open or disturbed sites.

The dried bitter leaf exudate is the source of Cape aloe; leaf gel and whole-leaf preparations are separate materials with different chemistry and controls. Traditional and commercial uses include topical preparations and stimulant-laxative products. A provenance record must state the plant part and processing route.

SANBI's national assessment records the species as widespread and common, but local overharvesting can still damage stands. Responsible sourcing requires harvest rotation, retained leaf area, legal collection authority and batch evidence that links processed material to an approved source.

Leaf exudate contains hydroxyanthracene derivatives including aloin; inner leaf material has a different polysaccharide-rich profile. Regulatory monographs limit oral use of stimulant-laxative preparations and identify contraindications. These records describe documented use and chemistry, not a recommendation to self-treat.

Botanical and pharmacognosy literature distinguishes the bitter exudate from gel, a distinction that is essential for identity, safety and product claims. Current South African non-detriment work also evaluates trade volume, harvesting practice and population resilience rather than relying on the Least Concern label alone.

Traceable harvesting can support rural livelihoods while protecting source populations. Useful assurance measures include collector authorisation, geofenced source areas retained privately, harvest-date evidence, regeneration checks and reconciliation between raw leaf mass and processed output.

Aloe harvesting and processing have a long economic history in the Cape and Eastern Cape. Benefit-sharing and supplier terms should recognise local harvesting knowledge without publishing personal identities or sensitive collection locations.