Aloe 2.0: A Safer, Domestic Supply of High-grade Polyacetylated Mannans

Aloe vera is a widely used plant found in hundreds of products because it produces polyacetylated mannans a polysaccharide that promotes skin health. Most commercial aloe cultivation has been offshored. U.S. manufacturers of aloe-containing products must import this crop but this material often has issues with seasonal variation dilution contamination with pesticides and even adulteration. Additionally aloe produces the carcinogen aloin that must be removed with costly processing steps before use. We aim to solve the current issues with aloe by the development of a commercial Aloe vera plant cell culture. Plant cell culture is an established technology in which plants are grown as a fine suspension of small clumps or single cells. Unlike Aloe vera plants an aloe cell culture can be domestically produced in a safe and high-quality way without pesticides or adulterants. During Phase I Chi Botanic established an aloe cell culture and characterized its aloin and polyacetylated mannan content. Our objectives for this Phase II proposal is to (1) establish downstream bioseparations processes to convert aloe cell cultures into high-quality aloe products by establishing and optimizing filtration drying and milling procedures (2) increase polyacetylated mannan production in aloe cell cultures by using elicitors and selection strategies and (3) develop aloe plant cell lines that do not produce the carcinogen aloin by disrupting genes involved in anthraquinone biosynthesis. The results of this work will be aloe plant cell lines and methods to produce high-value aloe domestically. This aloe will be formulated into cosmetic products with a commercial partner.