Sabila
Aloe vera · Aloe vera
- Names in the 1901 book
- Sabila, Tag.; Dilag̃ boaya, Vis.; Aloes, Eng.
- Names in the 1985 book
- English: Curacao aloe, Aloe vera; Spanish: Acibar; Tagalog: Sabila; Bicol: Dilang-buaya; Visayan: Dilang-halo
- Used for
- Mouth, teeth and throatStomach and digestionConstipationSkinWounds, burns and boilsJoint pain, sprains and swellingUrinaryHemorrhoidsHair and scalpMenstruation and childbirth
- Colours
- floweryellowleafgreen
- Native range
- Arabian Peninsula
- In the Philippines, per the book
- Common in gardens.
- Family
- Asphodelaceae, filed in the book under Liliaceæ
- Printed in 1901 as
- Aloes Barbadensis, Mill. (A. humilis, Blanco; A. vera, L.; A. vulgaris, Banck.; A. Indica, Royl.)
- Printed in 1985 as
- Aloe barbadensis Mill
- Sources
- Page 232 on Project Gutenberg · Healing Wonders of Herbs (1985), page 125 · Wikipedia
The plant today
Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It is widely distributed and is considered an invasive species in many regions of the world. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula but also grows wild in other tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world. It is cultivated commercially and has been used for centuries as a topical treatment. The species is considered attractive for decorative purposes and is often used indoors as a potted plant. The leaves of Aloe vera contain significant amounts of the polysaccharide gel acemannan, which may be used for topical purposes.
Excerpt from “Aloe vera” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sa Tagalog
Ang Aloe vera, kilala rin bilang aloeng medisinal o sabilang panggamot, ay isang uri ng mga halamang malalambot (sukulente) na pinaniniwalaang nanggaling sa Hilagang Aprika. Walang likas na pagusbong ang mga uring ito, ngunit may mga likas na tumutubong mga kamag-anak ng mga Aloe sa hilagang Aprika.
Sipi mula sa “Aloe vera” sa Tagalog Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Recorded in the Philippines
GBIF holds 85 records of this plant from the Philippines. The ones with map coordinates fall in 18 provinces, most often Zamboanga del Norte (41), Bataan (7), Agusan del Sur (7), Benguet (3), Batanes (2), Guimaras (2), Lanao del Norte (2), Metropolitan Manila (2), and 10 more.
Counts from GBIF occurrence records, October 2026. They include planted trees and garden plants, and a province with no records may only lack collectors.
What the 1901 book says
A historical record, quoted as printed. Doses and remedies here are not medical advice.
Uses
This species is one of those which produce the substance known in pharmacy as aloes, which is the juice of the leaf evaporated to the consistency of an extract. It is official in all pharmacopoeias and its properties are known to the Filipino herb-doctors. They use the fresh juice of the leaves as a stimulant of the scalp in baldness and locally in contusions. Aloes is a slow purgative and its irritating action on the lower portion of the large intestine extends to the genito-urinary organs. It is, therefore, an emmenagogue and its prolonged use causes hemorrhoids, especially in man. It is contraindicated where there is disease of the genito-urinary organs or rectum. As it increases the secretion of bile it is useful in certain hepatic diseases. It is used in small doses as a tonic in dyspepsia. The tonic dose is ½–20 centigrams; purgative, 15–50 of the extract, preferably in pill form. It is customary to associate it with other purgatives.
Botanical description
A stemless plant, the leaves springing immediately from the root as in the pineapple, joined at the base, straight, ligulate, very fleshy and becoming thinner toward the end, with stiff thorns along the edges. Flowers between yellow and red outside and straw-colored inside, in racemes on a cylindrical scape 3° or more high, sometimes ramose, peduncles very short. Corolla cylindrical, somewhat incurved, cleft to the middle in 6 parts, 3 external, acute and superposed on the others, obtuse at the apex and of different color. Stamens 6, inserted at the nectiferous base of the ovary and of the same length as the corolla. Anthers erect. Ovary cylindrical with 6 furrows. Stigma obtuse, with raveled edges. The seed vessel ovoid, 3-valved, 3-celled, with 2 seeds in each, furnished with 3 spongy wings.
What the 1985 book uses it for
A record of home remedies from 1985, with the book's amounts and doses reworded. It is not medical advice.
- BurnsLeaf juice on small burns.Once a day, after soaking the burn in warm salt water.Page 17
- DandruffLeaf juice massaged into the scalp before shampoo.An hour before the gugo shampoo, once a week for 4 weeks.Page 21
- Pimples or acneLeaf juice rubbed on the face.One leaf with the rind peeled off. Leave on the washed face for 30 minutes, or overnight if the skin tolerates it.Page 34
- Sore throatPieces of leaf held in the mouth.Cut a washed leaf into half-inch pieces. Keep one in the mouth through the day, swallowing the juice.Page 40
- Sprained ankle or wristPounded leaves as a poultice.Pound 2 or 3 fresh leaves. Bandage in place for 30 minutes, three times a day.Page 40
Summarised from Herminia de Guzman-Ladion, Healing Wonders of Herbs (Manila: Philippine Publishing House, 1985), where this plant is shown as “Sabila” on page 125. The book is in copyright, so its wording and photographs are not reproduced. Amounts are the book's, restated.
Recent research
The most cited papers since 2022 that name this plant in the title, pulled from Europe PMC in October 2026. Titles are the authors' own and the findings have not been reviewed here.
- Molecular Docking and Efficacy of Aloe vera Gel Based on Chitosan Nanoparticles against Helicobacter pylori and Its Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities
- Aloe vera-Based Hydrogels for Wound Healing: Properties and Therapeutic Effects
- Aloe vera peel-derived nanovesicles display anti-inflammatory properties and prevent myofibroblast differentiation