Garlic and garlic extracts, through their antioxidant activities, have been reported to provide protection against free radical damage in the body. This study investigated antioxidant properties of garlic compounds representing the four main chemical classes, alliin, allyl cysteine, allyl disulfide, and allicin, prepared by chemical synthesis or purification. Alliin scavenged superoxide, while ...

Allium vegetables (onions, leeks, chives) and in particular garlic have been claimed to have health-promoting potential. This study was conducted to get insight into the perspectives for monitoring the intake of garlic by a biomarker approach. Chemically, the biomarker results from exposure to gamma-glutamyl-S-allyl-l-cysteine, which is first hydrolysed by gamma-glutamine-transpeptidase resulti...

Overdose of acetaminophen causes severe hepatic necrosis in humans and experimental animals. Studies on its hepatotoxicity remain a very active area since some of current data are still uncertain. In this study, freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were used to determine the effects of garlic extract and its component, allicin on the acetaminophen-induced cell cytotoxicity and to compare with the e...

Mercury (II) is a highly toxic metal which induced oxidative stress in the living organism. In the present study we examined the effect of S-Allyl cysteine (SAC) against the mercuric chloride (Hgcl2) intoxicated in albino rat model. The animals were treated with sub-leathal dose of mercuric chloride (1.23 mg/kg body wt) for 7 days. After scheduled treatetment the animals were decapitated and wh...

Organosulfur compounds (OSCs) present in garlic and onion oil have been shown to inhibit chemical carcinogenesis. In this study, we compared the chemopreventive efficacy of five lipidand four water-soluble OSCs using the murine nuclear aberration assay. Administration of diallyl sulfide and 5-allyl cysteine p.o. at a dose of 200 mg/kg 3 h prior to i.p. 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMII) injection (20...

S-Allyl-L-cysteine (SAC), a component of garlic and a metabolite of allyl halides, is a known substrate for multiple flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs). In the current study, we characterize the in vivo SAC metabolism by investigating the presence of SAC, N-acetyl-S-allyl-L-cysteine (NASAC), and their corresponding sulfoxides in the urine of rats given SAC (200 or 400 mg/kg i.p.). In some ...

Precursors involved in the formation of pink and green-blue pigments generated during onion and garlic processing, respectively, have been studied. It has been confirmed that the formations of both pigments are of very similar natures, with (E)-S-(1-propenyl)cysteine sulfoxide (isoalliin) serving as the primary precursor. Upon disruption of the tissue, isoalliin and other S-alk(en)ylcysteine su...