Organosulfur compounds detected in the genus Aloe

An organosulfur compound has at least one carbon-sulfur (C-S) bond. All living things’ bodies contain organosulfur compounds in the form of proteins, peptides, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, coenzymes, hormones, etc. Numerous plants contain organosulfur compounds, and for centuries, folk and traditional medicines have made use of their bioactive qualities. Almost all of the compounds detected from Aloe plants are organic compounds among which some of them are organosulfur compounds. Five organosulfur compounds have been reported from the genus Aloe . Aloe species have been found to contain thiamine/vitamin B1 (C 12 H 17 N 4 OS + ), pluridone (C 12 H 12 O 3 S), methionine (C 5 H 11 NO 2 S), cysteine (C 3 H 7 NO 2 S), and 1-(phenylthioxomethyl) piperidine (C 12 H 15 NS). The compounds are grouped into various functional groups: sulfide (R-S-R), thiol (R-SH), and thioamide (R=SN). These compounds have potential biological activities that are used in medicine, food, cosmetics, etc.  The biological activities of organosulfur compounds are the same as those of Aloe species. This agreement shows that organosulfur compounds have roles in the applications of Aloe species. Therefore, organosulfur compounds from the genus Aloe are strongly recommended to be tested for their potential biological activities and how to extract, isolate, and specifically perform structural characterization.