Potential Of Allicin Research Articles

Potential Hepatoprotective Effects of Allicin on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis.

The global burden of liver disease is enormous, which highlights the need for effective hepatoprotective agents. It was reported that allicin exhibits protective effects against a range of diseases. In this study, we further evaluated allicin's effect and mechanism in acute hepatic injury. Liver injury in mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection with 1% CCl4 (10 mL/kg/day). When the first dose was given, CCl4 was given immediately after administration of different doses of allicin (40, 20, and 10 mg/kg/day) as well as compound glycyrrhizin (CGI, 80 mg/kg/day), and then different doses of allicin (40, 20, and 10 mg/kg/day) as well as compound glycyrrhizin (CGI, 80 mg/kg/day) were administrated every 12 h. The animals were dissected 24 h after the first administration. The findings demonstrated a significant inhibition of CCl4-induced acute liver injury following allicin treatment. This inhibition was evidenced by notable reductions in serum levels of transaminases, specifically aspartate transaminase, along with mitigated histological damage to the liver. In this protective process, allicin plays the role of reducing the amounts or the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6. Furthermore, allicin recovered the activities of the antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT) and reduced the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) in a dose-dependent manner, and also reduced liver Caspase 3, Caspase 8, and BAX to inhibit liver cell apoptosis. Further analysis showed that the administration of allicin inhibited the increased protein levels of Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), which is related to inflammation and oxidative stress. The in vitro study of the LPS-induced RAW264.7 inflammatory cell model confirmed that allicin can inhibit important inflammation-related factors and alleviate inflammation. This research firstly clarified that allicin has a significant protective effect on CCl4-induced liver injury via inhibiting the inflammatory response and hepatocyte apoptosis, alleviating oxidative stress associated with the progress of liver damage, highlighting the potential of allicin as a hepatoprotective agent.

Combating Black Fungus: Using Allicin as a Potent Antifungal Agent against Mucorales.

Invasive fungal (IF) diseases are a leading global cause of mortality, particularly among immunocompromised individuals. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic further exacerbated this scenario, intensifying comorbid IF infections such as mucormycoses of the nasopharynx. In the work reported here, it is shown that zygomycetes, significant contributors to mycoses, are sensitive to the natural product allicin. Inhibition of Mucorales fungi by allicin in solution and by allicin vapor was demonstrated. Mathematical modeling showed that the efficacy of allicin vapor is comparable to direct contact with the commercially available antifungal agent amphotericin B (ampB). Furthermore, the study revealed a synergistic interaction between allicin and the non-volatile ampB. The toxicity of allicin solution to human cell lines was evaluated and it was found that the half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of allicin was 25-72 times higher in the cell lines as compared to the fungal spores. Fungal allicin sensitivity depends on the spore concentration, as demonstrated in a drop test. This study shows the potential of allicin, a sulfur-containing defense compound from garlic, to combat zygomycete fungi. The findings underscore allicin's promise for applications in infections of the nasopharynx via inhalation, suggesting a novel therapeutic avenue against challenging fungal infections.

Revitalizing allicin for cancer therapy: advances in formulation strategies to enhance bioavailability, stability, and clinical efficacy.

The main objective of this review is to highlight the therapeutic potential of allicin, a defense molecule in garlic known for its diverse health benefits, and address the key challenges of its bioavailability and stability. The research further aims to evaluate various formulation strategies and nanotechnology-based delivery systems that can resolve these issues and improve allicin's clinical efficacy, especially in cancer therapy. We conducted a comprehensive review of the available literature and previous studies, focusing on the therapeutic properties of allicin, its bioavailability, stability issues, and novel formulation strategies. We assessed the mechanism of action of allicin in cancer, including its effects on signaling pathways, cell cycle, apoptosis, autophagy, and tumor development. We also evaluated the outcomes of both in vitro and in vivo studies on different types of cancers, such as breast, cervical, colon, lung, and gastric cancer. Despite allicin's significant therapeutic benefits, including cardiovascular, antihypertensive, cholesterol-lowering, antimicrobial, antifungal, anticancer, and immune-modulatory activity, its clinical utility is limited due to poor stability and unpredictable bioavailability. Allicin's bioavailability in the gastrointestinal tract is dependent on the activity of the enzyme alliinase, and its stability can be affected by various conditions like gastric acid and intestinal enzyme proteases. Recent advances in formulation strategies and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems show promise in addressing these challenges, potentially improving allicin's solubility, stability, and bioavailability. Allicin offers substantial potential for cancer therapy, yet its application is hindered by its instability and poor bioavailability. Novel formulation strategies and nanotechnology-based delivery systems can significantly overcome these limitations, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of allicin. Future research should focus on refining these formulation strategies and delivery systems, ensuring the safety and efficacy of these new allicin formulations. Clinical trials and long-term studies should be carried out to determine the optimal dosage, assess potential side effects, and evaluate their real-world applicability. The comparative analysis of different drug delivery approaches and the development of targeted delivery systems can also provide further insight into enhancing the therapeutic potential of allicin.

Antifungal Activity and Potential Action Mechanism of Allicin against Trichosporon asahii.

Trichosporon asahii is an emerging opportunistic pathogen that causes potentially fatal disseminated trichosporonosis. The global prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses an increasing fungal infection burden caused by T. asahii. Allicin is the main biologically active component with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity in garlic. In this study, we performed an in-depth analysis of the antifungal characteristics of allicin against T. asahii based on physiological, cytological, and transcriptomic assessments. In vitro, allicin inhibited the growth of T. asahii planktonic cells and biofilm cells significantly. In vivo, allicin improved the mean survival time of mice with systemic trichosporonosis and reduced tissue fungal burden. Electron microscopy observations clearly demonstrated damage to T. asahii cell morphology and ultrastructure caused by allicin. Furthermore, allicin increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, leading to oxidative stress damage in T. asahii cells. Transcriptome analysis showed that allicin treatment disturbed the biosynthesis of cell membrane and cell wall, glucose catabolism, and oxidative stress. The overexpression of multiple antioxidant enzymes and transporters may also place an additional burden on cells, causing them to collapse. Our findings shed new light on the potential of allicin as an alternative treatment strategy for trichosporonosis. IMPORTANCE Systemic infection caused by T. asahii has recently been recognized as an important cause of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Invasive trichosporonosis remains a significant challenge for clinicians, due to the limited therapeutic options. The present work suggests that allicin holds great potential as a therapeutic candidate for T. asahii infection. Allicin demonstrated potent in vitro antifungal activity and potential in vivo protective effects. In addition, transcriptome sequencing provided valuable insights into the antifungal effects of allicin.

Therapeutic Potential of Allicin and Aged Garlic Extract in Alzheimer's Disease.

Garlic, Allium sativum, has long been utilized for a number of medicinal purposes around the world, and its medical benefits have been well documented. The health benefits of garlic likely arise from a wide variety of components, possibly working synergistically. Garlic and garlic extracts, especially aged garlic extracts (AGEs), are rich in bioactive compounds, with potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective activities. In light of these effects, garlic and its components have been examined in experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia without therapy, and a growing health concern in aging societies. With the aim of offering an updated overview, this paper reviews the chemical composition, metabolism and bioavailability of garlic bioactive compounds. In addition, it provides an overview of signaling mechanisms triggered by garlic derivatives, with a focus on allicin and AGE, to improve learning and memory.

Allicin in Digestive System Cancer: From Biological Effects to Clinical Treatment

Allicin is the main active ingredient in freshly-crushed garlic and some other allium plants, and its anticancer effect on cancers of digestive system has been confirmed in many studies. The aim of this review is to summarize epidemiological studies and in vitro and in vivo investigations on the anticancer effects of allicin and its secondary metabolites, as well as their biological functions. In epidemiological studies of esophageal cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and biliary tract cancer, the anticancer effect of garlic has been confirmed consistently. However, the results obtained from epidemiological studies in gastric cancer and colon cancer are inconsistent. In vitro studies demonstrated that allicin and its secondary metabolites play an antitumor role by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, controlling tumor invasion and metastasis, decreasing angiogenesis, suppressing Helicobacter pylori, enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs, and reducing the damage caused by chemotherapeutic drugs. In vivo studies further demonstrate that allicin and its secondary metabolites inhibit cancers of the digestive system. This review describes the mechanisms against cancers of digestive system and therapeutic potential of allicin and its secondary metabolites.

Potential of Allicin, Ajoene and Quercetin Contained in Garlic (Allium sativum) as a Promising Anti-Malarial

Malaria is an infectious disease with a high morbidity and mortality rate caused by Plasmodium and is transmitted through the Anopheles mosquito. Garlic (Allium sativum) has active substances that can be used as medicinal ingredients. Several active substances, namely allicin, ajoene, and quercetin contained in garlic have the potential to act as an effective and safe anti plasmodium for the host. This writing is a literature review using relevant literature. The results of the study concluded that the active ingredients in garlic have potential to be a new antimalarial agent, and it is hoped that it can be a cheaper and more effective malaria treatment so that drug resistance and morbidity and mortality from malaria can be reduced.

Allicin and Digestive System Cancers: From Chemical Structure to Its Therapeutic Opportunities.

Digestive system cancer tumors are one of the major causes of cancer-related fatalities; the vast majority of them are colorectal or gastric malignancies. Epidemiological evidence confirmed that allium-containing food, such as garlic, reduces the risk of developing malignancies. Among all compounds in garlic, allicin has been most researched, as it contains sulfur and produces many second degradation compounds, such as sulfur dioxide, diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS), and diallyl disulfide (DADS) in the presence of enzymatic reactions in gastric juice. These substances have shown anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer efficacy, including gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, leukemia, and skin cancers. Herein, we summarize the therapeutic potential of allicin in the treatment of GI cancers.

The antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of allicin against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus – A therapeutic potential for denture stomatitis

The objective of this study is to determine the therapeutic efficacy of allicin against Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), the common etiological agents for denture stomatitis (DS). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs), minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFCs) of allicin were determined by the broth microdilution method followed by checkerboard microdilution method for a synergistic interaction between allicin + nystatin and allicin + CHX. The potential of allicin to eradicate C. albicans and S. aureus biofilms was assessed by treating biofilm formed on self- polymerized acrylic resin with allicin at a sub-MIC concentration for 5 min. The commercial denture cleanser (brand X) was used as a positive control. A Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the post-hoc Mann-Whitney U test was applied (SPSS 20.0), and the level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Allicin exhibited antimicrobial activity against C. albicans (MIC:8 µg/ml and MFC:16 µg/ml) and S. aureus (MIC:8 µg/ml and MBC:8 µg/ml). A synergistic interaction was observed between allicin + nystatin and allicin + CHX (FICI ≤ 0.5). Allicin exhibited significant biofilm eradication against C. albicans and S. aureus biofilms with percentages of 50.0% and 52.6%, respectively. The results of this study suggest a possible application of allicin in treating C. albicans and S. aureus infection in DS.

Enhanced Allicin Cytotoxicity on HEPG-2 Cells Using Glycyrrhetinic Acid Surface-Decorated Gelatin Nanoparticles.

The cytotoxic potential of allicin was evaluated on different cancer cell lines, particularly, hepatic (HepG-2), breast (MCF-7), lung (A-549), and prostatic (PC-3), where allicin scored an IC50 score of 19.26 μM on HepG-2. In order to increase the cell uptake, optimized allicin-loaded gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) were prepared where the optimum formulation was surface-conjugated to glycyrrhetinic acid. GNPs were optimized using a D-optimal design. The optimum formulation had a particle size of 370.7 ± 6.78 nm and polydispersity index of 0.0363 ± 0.009 and 39.13 ± 2.38% of drug entrapment. The conjugation of the ligand, glycyrrhetinic acid with allicin-loaded GNPs, was confirmed utilizing 1H NMR. Drug release profiles in the presence/absence of collagenase were obtained. Finally, a cytotoxicity study on HepG-2 was performed for the unconjugated and conjugated allicin-loaded GNPs scoring IC50 of 10.95 and 5.046 μM, revealing two- and fourfold enhancements in allicin cytotoxicity, respectively. To our knowledge, the ligand–carrier pair, glycyrrhetinic acid–gelatin, was not explored before, and the developed system poses a successful liver cancer therapy.

Inhibitory effect of allicin against Meloidogyne incognita and Botrytis cinerea in tomato

Allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate) is the key natural antimicrobial compound of garlic. Extensive studies have been conducted to understand the effects of allicin in medicine; however, little information is currently available in China about its effects on root-knot nematodes, plant pathogens, plant growth and yield. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential of allicin to control Meloidogyne incognita and Botrytis cinerea in tomato, and its effect on tomato plant growth and yield. The responses of antioxidant enzyme activity to allicin application were also investigated. Results from the laboratory experiments showed that allicin exhibited effective inhibition against M. incognita and B. cinerea, with the median lethal concentration (LC50) of 18.23 and 14.11 mg active ingredient (ai) L−1, respectively. In the greenhouse experiments, allicin not only had an active effect on tomato growth but also showed excellent efficacy to control M. incognita and B. cinerea, resulting in increased tomato yield. Application of allicin also significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in tomato leaves compared with the untreated control. Results from this study indicated that allicin was a promising natural compound to control M. incognita and B. cinerea in tomato, providing a potential substitute to synthetic chemical compounds for control of the root-knot nematodes and gray mold of tomato.

Allicin disrupts cardiac Cav1.2 channels via trafficking

Context: Allicin is a potential antiarrhythmic agent. The antiarrhythmic properties of allicin rely on its blockade of various cardiac ion channels. The l-type calcium (Cav1.2) channel provides a pivotal substrate for cardiac electrophysiologic activities. The mechanism of allicin on Cav1.2 remains unclear.Objective: This study evaluated the potential of allicin on the synthesis and trafficking of Cav1.2 channels.Materials and methods: Primary cardiomyocytes (CMs) from neonatal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to allicin (0, 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 μg/mL) for 24 and 48 h. The CellTiter-Glo assay was performed to measure CM viability. Western blot with grayscale analysis and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to evaluate the effects of allicin on the synthesis and trafficking of Cav1.2 channel proteins in primary CMs.Results: There was no significant difference in apoptotic toxicity from the actual cell viability (p > 0.05) in any group (0, 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 μg/mL allicin), except that viability in the 0.001 and 0.01 μg/mL groups at 24 h were significantly greater (137.37 and 135.96%) (p < 0.05). Western blot with grayscale analysis revealed no substantial inhibition by allicin of the synthesis of Cav1.2 proteins. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed trafficking dysfunction of Cav1.2 channels caused by allicin in primary CMs.Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate that allicin inhibits cardiac Cav1.2 channels by disrupting trafficking, possibly mediating its antiarrhythmic benefits. Therefore, allicin might serve as a new antiarrhythmic agent in the future.

Evaluation of Allicin as Soil Urease Inhibitor

Urea is the most widely used form of N fertilizer in agriculture. However, if it is not incorporated into soil soon after application, urea has the disadvantage of undergoing considerable losses as ammonia gas due to hydrolysis in the presence of soil urease. Urease inhibitors are some of the most commonly used approaches to overcome nitrogen losses in fields, as they delay urea hydrolysis and thus increase the chances of urea incorporation into soil. Among the known soil urease inhibitors is the chemical based N(butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) but it is found to cause some phytotoxic effect on plants among assimilation issues. Allicin, a natural based bio-inhibitor from garlic (Allium sativum L.), has shown potential to inhibit urease activity. In this context, laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the effect of different allicin concentrations on soil urease inhibition period. The loss of applied urea was quantified, using diacetylmonoxime (DAM) calorimetric method, following application of urea with and without allicin. Urea and a mixture of urea and allicin at different concentrations (5%, 10% and 15% w allicin/w urea) were surface-applied at a rate of 1000μg Urea N/kg soil to small circular containers. The soil was irrigated to maintain the moisture content between 25-30% throughout the study. This study suggest that prilled form urea application gave more consistent results than when urea was dissolved and added to the soil as a solution. Through this study, it was shown that allicin exerts inhibitory effects on urease in soil for agricultural applications, where 5% weight allicin to weight urea applied resulted in the best urease inhibition. At the given operating parameters, allicin inhibition was about 75% less than NBPT at steady state. While this study demonstrated the potential of allicin as a viable bio-inhibitor to retard the loss of urea in soil and thus it may be used along with urea for improved utilization of the applied –N by plants.

Garlic Treatment to Brain Cancer: An In-silico Evaluation to Explore the Therapeutic Efficacy of Allicin by Inhibition of Brain Aquaporin

Background: Brain cancer prevalence is increasing at an explosive pace. Aquaporins (AQPs) the integral membrane water channel proteins are diversely distributed in body and maintain osmotic gradient across cell’s plasma membrane. Past researches proved that AQP1, AQP4, AQP5 and AQP9 are majorly found in brain and are overexpressed in malignant conditions elevating progression, metastasis, angiogenesis, and associated edema. Allicin a plant origin compound found in garlic (Allium sativum), has anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial properties. Although much literature is present for allicin in treating cancer, inhibition of AQPs in brain cancer has never caught much attention. In this study we performed molecular docking to reveal structural inhibition of AQP1, 4, 5 and 9 by allicin and also analysed molecular and ADMET properties and bioavailability scores of allicin for its consideration as target specific drug. Methods and findings: Molecular docking was performed for analysing inhibition potential of allicin for AQP1, 4, 5 and 9 by using Autodock 4.0. The ADMET properties were analysed using Swiss ADME and Protox web portal. The molecular properties and bioavailability were checked by Molinspiration web based tool. Our results of docking for AQP1, AQP4, AQP5 and AQP9 with allicin gave binding energies of -4.76 kcal/mol, -4.89 kcal/mol, -4.19 kcal/mol and -4.78 kcal/mol respectively with 1 hydrogen bonds in each interaction. Conclusion: Brain aquaporins inhibition by allicin can be a potent target specific treatment for brain cancers.

Evaluation of ameliorative effect of allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate) on experimentally induced diabetes mellitus in albino rats

Background: Diabetes causes increased oxidative stress, to play an important role in the pathogenesis of various diabetic complications. The present study investigated the protective potential of allicin against diabetes in rat model. Methodology: Animals were injected a single dose of streptozotocin (55mg/kg.b.wt) to induce diabetes. Control and diabetic rats were treated with allicin (20 mg/kg.b.wt) for 30 days. Glibenclamide (10mg/kg.b.wt) was used as a positive control. After the experimental regimen, the rats were sacrificed and the blood was collected and serum was separated. Blood sugar, body weight, total protein, oxidative stress markers (TBARS, CAT, SOD and GSH) and inflammatory markers (TNF-α and IL-6) were used to bio-monitor the protective potential of allicin. Results: The experimental animals lost weight significantly, exhibited elevated blood sugar levels, decreased protein levels (p<0.05) in comparison to control animals; these alteration were corrected after allicin therapy. The significant elevation of TBARS content, reduction in total glutathione content and declined CAT and SOD activities in experimental animals; which were normalized following allicin therapy. The altered serum inflammatory markers were significantly reduced to near normal levels. No significant alterations in allicin alone administered rats. Conclusion: We thus conclude that allicin has potent antihyperglycemic, anti-lipidperoxidative and anti- inflammatory potential in diabetic animals.

The action of allicin againstArmillariaspp.in vitro

Summary The effect of allicin (a stabilized garlic extract product) at five different concentrations (0, 20, 30, 50 and 100 mg/l) was studied in vitro on the growth rate of 100 isolates of Armillaria gallica and A. mellea. Isolates were obtained from 41 host genera growing in gardens located in 39 counties in the United Kingdom. Agar plugs of the actively growing Armillaria isolates were added to the centre of malt agar plates infused with allicin, and radial mycelium growth was measured on days 7, 14 and 21. The total number of rhizomorphs and length of rhizomorphs were also measured. Relative growth rates were calculated as the growth rate relative to the controls (0 mg/ l). The relative growth of each isolate at each allicin concentration was used to estimate EC50 values for A. mellea and A. gallica populations as well as individual isolates. EC50 values for both Armillaria spp. increased over time. The mean EC50 values for A. mellea of 16.0, 26.4 and 102 mg/l (days 7, 14 and 21, respectively) were higher than those for A. gallica (8.8, 7.9 and 11.0 mg/l) and probably relate to the more aggressive nature of A. mellea. Isolates with higher EC50 values were also more likely to produce more rhizomorphs. At allicin concentrations of 20 and 30 mg/l, the production of rhizomorphs and the growth rates of A. mellea isolates were stimulated, when compared to the control treatments. From this study's findings, it appears that the field use potential of allicin is limited, due to better inhibition of the less virulent A. gallica, than the more aggressive A. mellea.

Nucleic acid binding properties of allicin: Spectroscopic analysis and estimation of anti-tumor potential

BackgroundAllicin has received much attention due to its anti-proliferative activity and not-well elucidated underlying mechanism of action. This work focuses towards determining the cellular toxicity of allicin and understanding its interaction with nucleic acid at molecular level. MethodsMTT assay was used to assess the cell viability of A549 lung cancer cells against allicin. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV-visible spectroscopy were used to study the binding parameters of nucleic acid-allicin interaction. ResultsAllicin inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells in a concentration dependent manner. FTIR spectroscopy exhibited that allicin binds preferentially to minor groove of DNA via thymine base. Analysis of tRNA allicin complex has also revealed that allicin binds primarily through nitrogenous bases. Some amount of external binding with phosphate backbone was also observed for both DNA and RNA. UV visible spectra of both DNA allicin and RNA allicin complexes showed hypochromic shift with an estimated binding constant of 1.2×104M-1 for DNA and 1.06×103M−1for RNA binding. No major transition from the B-form of DNA and A-form of RNA is observed after their interaction with allicin. ConclusionsThe results demonstrated that allicin treatment inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Biophysical outcomes are suggestive of base binding and helix contraction of nucleic acid structure upon binding with allicin. General significanceThe results describe cytotoxic potential of allicin and its binding properties with cellular nucleic acid, which could be helpful in deciphering the complete mechanism of cell death exerted by allicin.

Effects of Allicin on the Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm and the Production of Quorum-Sensing Controlled Virulence Factors

The Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial pathogen is reputed for its resistance to multiple antibiotics, and this property is strongly associated with the development of biofilms. Bacterial biofilms form by aggregation of microorganisms on a solid surface and secretion of an extracellular polysaccharide substances that acts as a physical protection barrier for the encased bacteria. In addition, the P aeruginosa quorum-sensing system contributes to antibiotic resistance by regulating the expression of several virulence factors, including exotoxin A, elastase, pyoverdin and rhamnolipid. The organosulfur compound allicin, derived from garlic, has been shown to inhibit both surface-adherence of bacteria and production of virulence factors. In this study, the effects of allicin on P aeruginosa biofilm formation and the production of quorum-sensing controlled virulence factors were investigated. The results demonstrated that allicin could inhibit early bacterial adhesion, reduce EPS secretion, and down-regulate virulence factors' production. Collectively, these findings suggest the potential of allicin as a therapeutic agent for controlling P aeruginosa biofilm.

Comparison between efficacy of allicin and fluconazole against Candida albicans in vitro and in a systemic candidiasis mouse model

The efficacy of allicin compared with fluconazole in alleviating systemic Candida albicans infections was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo through a systemic candidiasis mouse model. Determination of in vitro minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for different C. albicans isolates revealed that both allicin and fluconazole showed different MICs that ranged from 0.05 to 12.5 μg mL(-1) and 0.25 to 16 μg mL(-1) , respectively. A time-kill study showed a significant effect of allicin (P<0.01) against C. albicans, comparable to that of fluconazole. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that, similar to fluconazole, allicin produced structural destruction of C. albicans cell surface at low MIC and lysis or puncture at high MIC concentrations. Treatment of BALB/c mice systemically infected with C. albicans showed that although the allicin treatment (at 5 mg kg(-1) day(-1) ) was slightly less efficacious than fluconazole treatment in terms of the fungal load reduction and host survival time, it was still effective against C. albicans in terms of mean survival time, which increased from 8.4 to 15.8 days. These results demonstrate the efficacy of anticandidal effects of allicin both in vitro and in an animal model of candidiasis and affirm the potential of allicin as an adjuvant therapy to fluconazole.

Antimicrobial activity of allicin against honey bee pathogens

SUMMARYAllicin is the chief antimicrobial compound produced in garlic. It has been studied for activities against human and food-born pathogens. In this study the antimicrobial activity of allicin (Allisure™ liquid) was tested against a number of bacterial and fungal pathogens (Paenibacillus larvae larvae, P. I. pulvifaciens, Ascosphaera apis and Ascosphaera aggregata) associated with social (Apis mellifera) and solitary bees. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of allicin were determined using a broth microdilution method in the range of 1000 ppm to 25 ppm. Allicin liquid showed activity against gram-positive bacterial isolates (MIC 350 ppm) and fungal isolates (MIC 250 ppm). The antimicrobial activity of allicin was also tested in an agar diffusion test using 250 μg of allicin per disk. Bacterial isolates (P. I. pulvifaciens and P. I. larvae) were associated with zones of inhibition in the range of 24–26 mm and 45–50 mm, respectively. The fungal isolates were associated with zones of inhibition in the range of 31–35 mm (A. apis) and 35–37 mm (A. aggregata.) The macrolide class antibiotic tylosin (Tylan®50, Elanco Inc., IN) was used as a control in both the MIC assay and in the agar diffusion test. The data from this study point to the potential of allicin to inhibit growth of bee pathogens and reduce occurrence of at least two major bee diseases.