| Pharmaceutical Applications | Garlic (A. sativum) root bulb has been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes. Allicin is an active component of garlic consisting of a high concentration of sulfur-containing amino acids, which is formed when allicin comes in contact with enzyme alliinase (Tattelman 2005). Garlic has important antineoplastic property. Various studies have shown that consumption of high levels of garlic decreases the risk of colon cancer, stomach cancer, and melanomas by inhibiting the growth and proliferation of cancer cells (Anand et al. 2008; Tattelman 2005). A previous study demonstrated that water extract of fresh garlic had apoptotic effect on cancerous cells and prevented the inception of oral carcinoma (Balasenthil et al. 2002). Another study using 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced buccal pouch cancer model reported that garlic caused apoptosis of malignant cells (Hsu et al. 2004). It can act as an anticarcinogenic agent by scavenging the free radicals, increasing glutathione levels, increasing the activities of enzymes such as glutathione S transferase and catalase, inhibiting cytochrome p450 enzyme, and inducing DNA repair mechanisms; at the same time, it can prevent chromosomal damages (Anand et al. 2008). Garlic therefore is an alternative therapeutic agent for primary as well as invasive cancer (Balasenthil et al. 2002).
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| Description | §184.1317(a) Garlic is the fresh or dehydrated bulb or cloves
obtained from Allium sativum, a genus of the lily family. Its derivatives
include essential oils, oleoresins, and natural extractives
obtained from garlic. |
| Chemical Properties | Obtained in 0.1 to 0.2% yields by steam distillation of the crushed bulbs or cloves; sometimes the whole plant is dis- tilled The essential oil has an extremely intense odor to a certain degree reminiscent of garlic, but with a mercaptan-like note. |
| Physical properties | The oil obtained from bulbs is a clear, pale-yellow to reddish-orange liquid It is soluble in most fxed oils and mineral oil It may be incompletely soluble in alcohol It is insoluble in glycerin and propylene glycol. |
| Uses | As a spice and seasoning in foods. |
| Uses | Inactive analog of genistein. Blocks the G1 phase of the cell cycle in Swiss 3T3 cells by inhibiting kinase II activity. Soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide. |
| Definition | Extractives and their physically modified derivatives. Allium sativum, Liliaceae. |
| Essential oil composition | Garlic oil is composed of sulfur-containing compounds (diallyldisulfide, methylallyltrisulfide, diallyltrisulfide).
The oil contains allyl propyl disulfide, allyl di- and trisulfide and probably some allyl tetrasulfide, divinyl sulfide, allyl vinyl
sulfoxide, allicin and other minor components. Allicin is responsible for the characteristic odor of the essential oil and for the odor
liberated from the crushed garlic clove. |
| Hazard | Moderately toxic by ingestion |
