Aloe Vera vs. Aloe Macroclada: Two Plants, Two Callings

Everyone knows Aloe vera, but few realize that the genus Aloe includes more than 600 species worldwide. In Madagascar alone, over 120 endemic varieties are recorded [1], shaped by an extreme climate and unique volcanic soils. Among them, Aloe macroclada, called vahona, draws particular attention. Used in traditional pharmacopoeia, it now fascinates researchers for a rare property: its ability to stimulate the release of stem cells from the bone marrow [5].

If Aloe vera soothes and repairs at the surface, macroclada works in depth. Two close cousins in appearance, but radically different in their DNA, biochemistry, and effects.

Since antiquity, Aloe vera has been used for cosmetic and digestive benefits.

• Traditional and modern uses: skin hydration, wound healing, digestive comfort.
• Flagship molecule: acemannan, a polysaccharide that stimulates collagen and accelerates healing [2].
• Primary action: local, on the skin and mucous membranes.

Traditional and modern uses: skin hydration, wound healing, digestive comfort.

Flagship molecule: acemannan, a polysaccharide that stimulates collagen and accelerates healing [2].

Primary action: local, on the skin and mucous membranes.

 Its effectiveness is well documented, but its scope of action remains essentially superficial.  

Its laxative reputation comes from a confusion between two parts of the leaf:

• The inner gel: gentle, mucilaginous, hydrating → soothes the digestive mucosa.

• The yellow latex under the skin: rich in anthraquinones (aloin, emodin) → strongly stimulates intestinal contractions.

The inner gel: gentle, mucilaginous, hydrating → soothes the digestive mucosa.

The yellow latex under the skin: rich in anthraquinones (aloin, emodin) → strongly stimulates intestinal contractions.

Because aloin is considered irritating and risky by EFSA and the FDA [3], manufacturers have removed it from commercial juices. The result is a juice that is gentle for digestion but has lost part of its original regenerative potency.

 Endemic to the volcanic plateau of southern Madagascar, Aloe macroclada thrives in extreme conditions: drought, high salinity, wind, and intense solar radiation. These natural constraints stimulate the production of secondary metabolites — polyphenols, glycoproteins, and rare polysaccharides — true biochemical survival shields.  

• Traditional uses: restorative after illness or childbirth, liver detox, joint relief, purification rituals [4].

• Extreme conditions: mineral-rich volcanic soils, persistent drought, intense sunlight.

 These adaptive compounds — absent in industrially cultivated Aloe vera — grant macroclada deep regenerative properties, impacting stem cells, immunity, and tissue repair.  

A plant’s DNA is its recipe book. Aloe vera lacks the genes required to produce the polysaccharides specific to macroclada. Even planted in Madagascar, it would still be Aloe vera. Genetic identity sets therapeutic potential.

But terroir also plays a role: environmental stress forces macroclada to develop an exceptional internal chemistry. Unlike primary metabolites (sugars, amino acids, proteins), essential to every plant, secondary metabolites appear under constraint. Polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenes: they protect the plant and prove beneficial to us. Where Aloe vera shines mainly through acemannan (hydration), macroclada generates rare compounds involved in cellular regeneration.

Primary metabolites (sugars, amino acids, proteins) ensure survival. Secondary metabolites, meanwhile, reflect adaptation to the environment and are often the source of pharmacologically active molecules.  

Action on stem cells:
In 2015, a clinical study led by Christian Drapeau showed that ingesting macroclada extract led to a 53% increase in circulating stem cells (CD34+, CD133+) in just two hours [5], with no reported adverse effects.

• CD34+: blood stem cells, responsible for renewing blood and immunity.

• CD133+: immature, rarer stem cells, capable of becoming vascular, muscular, or neuronal [6].

👉 Seeing an increase in CD133+ means that macroclada mobilizes a broader regenerative reserve, unprecedented for a plant.

Aloe vera remains the universal everyday ally: gentle, restorative, accessible. Aloe macroclada, by contrast, embodies adaptive intelligence—a signature of life forged by the elements. Its potential to mobilize stem cells opens a new pathway in research on regeneration and longevity.

At Vāhana, we see Aloe macroclada not as a simple medicinal plant, but as a catalyst for cellular vitality, deeply tied to Madagascar and the wisdom of living systems.

Two plants, one family, but opposite callings:

• Aloe vera: the universal ally for skin and digestion.
• Aloe macroclada: a rare plant, shaped by its DNA and terroir, scientifically validated to stimulate our most precious stem cells.