Quantitation of Aloe Vera Polysaccharides by O-Acetyl and UV-Vis Spectrophotometry: First Action 2018.14.

Aloe vera polysaccharides are considered to be the primary active components that provide numerous anecdotal health benefits. Several analytical methods are currently being used to quantitate the acemannan content of aloe vera processed raw materials. Some involve the use of very expensive and intricate equipment that is not normally found in production facilities. This document describes a single-laboratory validation for a very simple and inexpensive method that will be supported by a future multi-laboratory validation determination. The acetyl groups on the acemannan are converted into a ferric-acetohydroxamic complex that is quantitated using a simple and inexpensive UV-Vis spectrophotometer at 540 nm. The analytical range for this method is 0.03-100% acemannan in both liquid and powdered materials. The recovery rate were 98-105% for both liquid and powdered samples. The repeatability precision was <2% at a level close to the LOQ. The results met the Standard Method Performance Requirements set by the AOAC Stakeholder Panel on Dietary Supplements. The AOAC Expert Review Panel approved the present method as AOAC 2018.14.