Crystalline aloe-emodin reduce β-amyloid-induced toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans with visualization of ingestion

•A new crystal of aloe-emodin has been successfully synthesized and structurally characterized.•Ingestion of crystalline powder of aloe-emodin by Caenorhabditis elegans is visualization.•Reduction of paralysis for crystalline powder group is 2.4 times to amorphous powder group. A new crystal of aloe-emodin, which crystallizes in space group P21/c, has been successfully synthesized, structurally characterized. Pharmacological activities for reduction of β-amyloid-induced toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans have been evaluated. Different activity between crystalline and amorphous powder of aloe-emodin has been studied. Reduction of paralysis for crystalline powder group is 2.4 times to amorphous powder group. Crystalline powder exhibits more efficient activity than amorphous powder to reduce Aβ-induced toxicity of CL4176 worms through reducing production of reactive oxygen species. [Display omitted]