Curative Effect of Garlic on Alcoholic Liver Diseased Patients

Alcohol is currently recognized as the most prevalent known cause of abnormal human development. Our aim was to investigate the effect of raw garlic on patients suffering from alcoholic liver disease. 20 alcoholic patients and 20 healthy individuals were selected. Both patients and normal individuals were subjected to detailed clinical examination and laboratory investigations. Blood samples were collected and the liver disease was assessed by measuring the activities of liver marker enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) which were elevated in alcoholic patients. Increased lipid peroxidation in alcoholic patients was accompanied by decreased activities of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Oral supplementation of 2 small sized raw garlic cloves (1 clove = 1.2g) to alcoholic patients for 45 days, significantly lowered the activities of liver marker enzymes, decreased the levels of lipid peroxidation and enhanced the antioxidant status to near normal. Thus, the data of the present study suggest that raw garlic offers protection against oxidative stress and antioxidant activities in alcoholic liver disease patients. © 2010 Jordan Journal of Biological Sciences. All rights reserved