Aloe vera gel extract and weight gain in mice
What it found
In mice fed a high fat diet, taking Aloe vera gel extract by mouth led to less weight gain and more activity in brown fat genes.
The same extract raised FGF21 in liver cells grown in the lab.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Weight gain in mice
Mice on the high fat diet plus Aloe vera gel extract gained less weight than mice on the high fat diet alone. They ate the same amount of food.
Fat and liver weights
The weight of mesenteric fat tended to be lower in the extract group than in the high fat diet group. Liver and inguinal fat weights were not significantly different.
Brown fat gene activity
Mice given the extract had higher activity of Ucp1, Adrb3 and Cidea genes in brown fat compared to mice on the high fat diet alone. These genes are linked to burning energy as heat.
Body temperature and oxygen use
There was no difference in rectal temperature between the groups. Oxygen use was lower in both the high fat diet and extract groups than in the standard diet group.
FGF21 in mice
The extract did not raise FGF21 levels in the liver or blood of the mice. FGF21 is a hormone involved in energy balance.
FGF21 in liver cells
In HepG2 liver cells grown in the lab, Aloe vera gel extract increased FGF21 gene activity. The effect was as strong as bezafibrate, a known PPARa activator.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that oral intake of Aloe vera gel extract caused anti-obesity effects and increased the activity of genes related to brown fat activation in mice.
- They suggest that brown fat activity may be partially involved in the anti-obesity mechanism of Aloe vera gel extract.
- They call for further studies to find the main mechanism behind the anti-obesity effect.
How it was done
The authors had previously found that Aloe vera components reduced weight and improved diabetes measures in animals. They wanted to see whether brown fat, which burns energy as heat, plays a part in that effect.
They fed 6 week old male mice either a standard diet, a high fat diet, or a high fat diet plus Aloe vera gel extract given by mouth every day for 10 weeks. They weighed the mice and their tissues, measured gene activity in brown fat, and also tested the extract on HepG2 liver cells in the lab.
What it can’t tell you
- These are animal and lab cell studies. They cannot show what happens in people.
- The study cannot prove that brown fat activation is the main reason for the weight difference, only that it may play a part.
- The mice were on a high fat diet, so the results may not apply to people eating different diets.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Food Ingredients & Technology Institute, Ltd
The paper
- Title
- Investigating Anti-Obesity Effects by Oral Administration of Aloe vera Gel Extract (AVGE): Possible Involvement in Activation of Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT)
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Tada A, Misawa E, Tanaka M, et al (2020). Investigating Anti-Obesity Effects by Oral Administration of Aloe vera Gel Extract (AVGE): Possible Involvement in Activation of Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT). Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology. doi:10.3177/jnsv.66.176Free full textPubMed 32350179DOI
Summary written 29 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error