Allium sp. vegetables are widely consumed for their characteristic flavour. Additionally, their consumption may provide protection against cardiovascular disease due to their antiplatelet and antioxidant activities. Although antiplatelet and antioxidant activities in Allium sp. are generally recognised, comparative studies of antiplatelet and antioxidant potency among the main Allium vegetable ...

A comparative study of the lectins from the families Amaryllidaceae and Alliaceae reveals many common features: all bind D-mannose exclusively and have similar molecular structures and amino acid compositions. All these lectins contain subunits of M, 11500-14000 which are not linked by disulphide bonds and occur as dimers (in Allium sativum, A. vineale, A. ursinum, A. moly, Narcissus pseudonarc...

The genus Allium is a rich source of steroidal saponins, and its medicinal properties have been attributed to these bioactive compounds. The saponin compounds with diverse structures play a pivotal role in Allium's defense mechanism. Despite numerous studies on the occurrence and chemical structure of steroidal saponins, their biosynthetic pathway in Allium species is poorly understood. The mon...

Purple blotch, caused by Alternaria porri (Ellis) Cifferi, is a serious disease incurring heavy yield losses in the bulb and seed crop of onion and garlic worldwide. There is an immediate need for identification of effective resistance sources for use in host resistance breeding. A total of 43 Allium genotypes were screened for purple blotch resistance under field conditions. Allium cepa access...

Leaf extracts of Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass) and bulb extracts of Allium sativum (garlic) extracted with various solvents (ethanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous for Cymbopogon citratus, and ethyl acetate chloroform and aqueous for Allium sativum) were evaluated for antidermatophytic activity against Microsporum spp. isolated from different water samples. Out of a total of 60 water samples an...

Onion (Allium cepa L.), garlic (Allium sativum L.) and other edible Allium are among the oldest cultivated plants, and are used for multiple purposes. They are a rich source of several phytonutrients, and recognized to have significant and wide biological activities. These biological activities are related to the thiosulfinates, volatile sulfur compounds which are responsible for the pungency o...

In vitro cultivation systems for oocytes and embryos are characterised by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can be balanced by the addition of suitable antioxidants. S-allyl cysteine (SAC) is a sulfur compound naturally occurring in garlic (Allium sativum), which is responsible for its high antioxidant properties. In this study, we demonstrated the capacity of SAC (0.1, 0...

Avian coccidiosis is the most costly and wide-spread parasitic disease in the poultry industry, and has been mainly controlled by the use of different chemotherapeutic agents. Due to the emergence of drug-resistant strains, alternative control strategies are needed. In this study, the protective effects of Allium sativum or Aloe vera aqueous extracts were investigated in broiler chickens follow...