Inhibition of infectious diseases by components from Aloe vera.

The ability to eliminate Escherichia coli K-12 from the peritoneal cavity in the early stage of infection (48 h) was improved by the pre-administration of an aloe sample to BALB/c mice. Our results suggest that the aloe sample could inhibit infectious diseases by stimulating the host defense mechanism, especially the phagocytic and killing activities of macrophages.