Plant Source Foods
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy in Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Sulfur-containing secondary metabolites include glucosinolates (GSL), glutathione (GSH), alliin, thionin, and defensins, which have been linked directly or indirectly with the defense of plants against microbial pathogens (35). Glucosinolates are plant organic compounds containing sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) and are derived from glucose and an amino acid. In plants, glucosinolates belong to the glucosides and act as natural pesticides and as a defense against herbivores and parasites because their break down products release volatile defensive substances exhibiting toxic or repellent effects (33, 35). They are found in red radish, horseradish, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, and mustard (33). Glutathione (GSH) is sulfur tripeptide and antioxidant in plants, animals, fungi. Alliin is a cysteine sulfoxide in fresh garlic and is rapidly broken down to form different organosulfur compounds such as allicin when garlic is broken down. Allicin is responsible for the heady, pungent garlic smell. Thionin is a protein with disulfide bonds. Plant defensins are proteins rich in cysteine, a sulfur amino acid, and are used to defend plants against parasites.
Anti-Inflammatory, Antimicrobial and Other Beneficial Effects of Allium sativum (Garlic)
Mehwish Iqbal in Complementary and Alternative Medicinal Approaches for Enhancing Immunity, 2023
Garlic cloves are stated to have hundreds of plant chemicals, including sulfur constituents, such as allicin, ajoenes, diallyl disulfide, vinyldithiins, diallyl trisulfide and others that comprised 82% of the total sulfur content of garlic (El-Saber Batiha et al., 2020). Allicin, the most organically dynamic sulfur-holding constituent of garlic, is accountable for its taste and smell (Rahman, 2007; Slusarenko et al., 2008), while alliin is the chief allicin precursor, which contains around 70% of overall thiosulfinates found in the compressed cloves (Kaye et al., 2000). One of the odorant compounds, allyl mercaptan, is accountable for garlic breath and arises from the reciprocal action of diallyl disulfide or allicin with cysteine in the existence of S-ally-mercaptocysteine (Kaye et al., 2000; Lawson & Gardner, 2005). However, allicin, PCSO (S-propyl-cysteine-sulfoxide) and MCSO (S-methyl cysteine sulfoxide) are the chief smelly constituents of freshly ground homogenates of garlic (Zeng et al., 2017) (Figure 16.2).Chemical structure of allicin.
Chemopreventive Agents
David E. Thurston, Ilona Pysz in Chemistry and Pharmacology of Anticancer Drugs, 2021
Allicin (Figure 12.34) is an organosulfur compound mainly found in garlic from the Amaryllidaceae family. Produced in garlic cells, when garlic is crushed, cut, or cooked, the enzyme alliinase converts alliin into allicin which produces the well-known aroma associated with fresh garlic. However, allicin is unstable and is converted into other sulfur-containing compounds such as diallyl disulphide. It has been suggested that this process is a defense mechanism against attack of garlic plants by insect pests. Structure of allicin.
Allium Sativum Methanolic Extract (garlic) Improves Therapeutic Efficacy of Albendazole Against Hydatid Cyst: In Vivo Study
Published in Journal of Investigative Surgery, 2019
K H Haji Mohammadi, M Heidarpour, H Borji
Garlic contains high concentration of sulphur-containing compounds that give the characteristic flavor and potent biological health benefits. The anti-infective properties of garlic are largely due to one particular class of sulphur-containing compounds. Allicin is the most plentiful thiosulfinate found in garlic and is produced when the enzyme alliinase responds with its substrate alliin. Several studies have demonstrated that, allicin and the other sulfur compounds in garlic extract have high binding affinity for the thiol groups. The main mechanism involved in the effect of allicin was supposedly due to the inhibition of certain thiol-containing enzymes in the microorganisms by the reaction of thiosulfinates with thiol groups.12–15 Also, allicin is suggested to apply its activities through causing oxidative damage to the cells.13–15
Diallyl disulphide-loaded spherical gold nanoparticles and acorn-like silver nanoparticles synthesised using onion extract: catalytic activity and cytotoxicity
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2020
You Jeong Lee, Song-Hyun Cha, Hyunjo Kim, Sung Eun Choi, Seonho Cho, Youmie Park
Vegetables in the Allium genus, which includes onion, garlic, leeks and chives, have been reported to have cancer preventive effects [13]. Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a widely consumed vegetable worldwide and is known for its characteristic taste. A. cepa has been reported to possess diverse biological activities [14]. Interestingly, epidemiological studies on Allium vegetables showed that there was some relationship between increased consumption of onion and/or garlic and decreased risk of certain cancers such as stomach, colorectal, oesophageal and prostate cancers [13]. Allium genus vegetables possess diverse primary and secondary metabolites including flavonoids, oligosaccharides, arginine, selenium and bioactive organosulfur compounds [13]. Most of the functional and biological activities in the Allium genus are associated with organosulfur compounds [15]. Organosulfur compounds in Allium species include allicin, alliin, diallyl monosulphide, diallyl disulphide (DADS), diallyl trisulphide, S-allyl-L-cysteine, ajoene and N-acetylcysteine [16]. The induction of apoptosis by diallyl monosulphide, DADS and diallyl trisulphide has been reported in malignant tumour cells [16].
A mini review: garlic extract and vascular diseases
Published in Neurological Research, 2018
Yuequan Zhu, Raja Anand, Xiaokun Geng, Yuchuan Ding
Garlic (Allium sativum L.) has historical significance as a traditional medicine in many cultures. Its use was documented over 5000 years ago in Ayurvedic medicine, and over 3000 years ago in ancient Chinese medicine. Its use in treating heart disease was also documented in Africa over 3500 years ago in the ancient Egyptian Codex Ebers [4]. In modern times, garlic has demonstrated effectiveness in improving multiple cardiovascular health markers [5]. Epidemiologic studies have shown that garlic consumption reduces the progression of vascular disease. Unfortunately, the lack of standardization among garlic products has thus far limited the scalability of multi-study meta-analysis [6,7]. Different garlic products have various compounds, so the effects rely on its compositions [8,9]. The active ingredients of garlic include enzymes (e.g. alliinase), sulfur-containing compounds such as alliin, and compounds produced enzymatically from alliin (e.g. allicin). Allicin is the main bioactive component in the aqueous garlic extract and raw garlic products. Another important garlic preparation is aged garlic extract (AGE). AGE has a clear biological effect in the treatment of atherosclerosis and lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases [10]. During the processing of AGE, the activity of S-allylcysteine (SAC) increased, which is an antioxidant and the key compound of AGE [8]. In this mini review, we summarize the key points regarding the mechanisms underlying garlic’s anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperlipidemic, and hypoglycemic effects.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Allicin
- Cysteine
- Diallyl Trisulfide
- Diastereomer
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Sulfoxide
- Amino Acid
- Alliinase
- Diallyl Disulfide
- Allyl Bromide