Author: Gerardo Daniel Sierra-Garcíaa , Rocío Castro-Ríosc , Azucena González-Hortaa , Jorge Lara-Ariasb and Abelardo Chávez-Montes
Acemannan medicinal, properties like osteogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial, accelerate healing of lesions, antiviral , antitumor activities in vivo through activation of immune responses, immune-stimulating [9], anti-neoplasic [10] and wound-healing actions, Biochemistry of acemannan, Acemannan, a ?-(1, 4)-linked polydispersed, highly acetylated mannan, is found in the inner leaf gel of the aloe plant, where it is produced by a specialized cells called leucoplasts, As a polysaccharide, acemannan is composed of mannose, glucose and galactose monomers. The approximate monosaccharide composition of acemannan is 31 ?-(1, 4)-linked mannoses, 1 ?-(1, 4)-linked glucose, and 1 ?-(1, 6)-linked galactose, Acemannan is one of the polysaccharides that dramatically increase white blood cell, macrophage and T cell numbers, activation of macrophages, acemannan, in combination with interferon gamma, has an effect on the release of nitric oxide, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-? by macrophages ,Release of these cytokines stimulates an increase of up to 300% in the replication of fibroblasts in tissue culture and enhances macrophage phagocytosis, hematoaugmenting properties by increasing peripheral and splenic blood cellularity in hematopoietic progenitors in mielosuppressed mice , and has been shown to upregulate function and generation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, immnunomodulatory activity also on dendritc cells by inducing maturation of these cells, recognition of terminal mannose by macrophages as a foreign substance due to it being common on the polysaccharides and oligosaccharides produced by microorganisms, acemannan allows the production of cytokines, interleukin-6, interferon gamma and tumor necrosis factor, the release of nitric oxide, which in turn is related to receptors for mannose monosaccharide, and candicidal activity by phagocytes. It is also known that increasing the antigen expression on the cell surface is a consequence of the release of gamma interferon, allowing increased expression of the molecules of the major histocompatibility complex; in this case it would carry the Class I viruses on the surface of the cell and would ensure their recognition by cytotoxic T cells to be eliminated. Another mechanism implicated by acemannan is inhibition of opsonization, the production of specific antibodies and the induction of delayed hypersensitivity; all these are responsible for the immunomodulatory effect of Aloe
