Allium sativum (Garlic) Flashcards
How do you recognise Garlic?
A perennial plant with flat parallel veined leaves. Cream to purple flowers grow in an umbel at the top of a rounded stem arising from the middle of the bulb.
Origins unclear – probably the Middle East.
Cultivated for at least 4000 years.
What are Garlic’s main constituents?
**Most actions attributed to sulphur containing compounds: **Alliin broken down by alliinase when cells damaged -> Alliicin
* Alliicin -> methyl mercaptan
* DAS diallylsulphide
* DADS diallydisulphide
* DAT diallyltrisulphide
* Ajoene
* Also polyphenols, flavonoids, flavonols, polysaccharides (more in aged garlic).
* Aged garlic extract – AGE - rich in S-allyl cysteine
What family is Garlic in?
A member of the Amaryllidaceae–formerly listed as being in the Liliaceae
What is Garlic good for?
Summary: Used extensively in food and also as a medicine. Various wild garlics and other Alliums – onions, leeks also of medicinal value.
**Actions: **
* A hot, life-enhancing spice.
* Anti-infective – against various bacteria, viruses, fungi & amoebic organisms.
* Expectorant.
* Antispasmodic carminative digestive.
* Anti-inflammatory.
* Cardio-protective: (Prevents atheroma/arteriosclerosis, Reduces LDL, increases HDL, Reduces amount of adipose tissue around heart, Possibly hypotensive) Hypoglycamic.
* Hepatoprotective against damage from paracetamol.
Applications
* Respiratory tract infections, including colds, flu, bronchitis, whooping cough and also useful in asthma.
* GIT bacterial infections including Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella dysenterica and Vibrio cholerae. (Does not increase bacterial resistance).
* Parasitical infections including trichomonas & amoebiasis.
* Cardiovascular problems including atheroma/arteriosclerosis, intermittent claudication, angina (Although it may work better as a preventative agent!).
* May be of use in diabetes.
* Research into use for Alzheimer’s and neurodegeneration.* Research into use in cancer.
What is Garlic’s Latin name?
Allium sativum
What parts of Garlic do you use?
The bulb – containing up to 20 individual cloves. New plants propagated by splitting bulb and planting individual cloves.
What safety issues might Garlic have?
- Can burn skin or mucus membranes (and can also cause a contact dermatitis).
- Can irritate stomach mucosa.
- Triggers an allergic reaction in some people (who tend to also react to other Allium plants used as foods) – mostly causes digestive problems.
- May potentiate anti-coagulant drugs.
- Fresh garlic may cause anaemia in horses.
What useful research does Garlic have?
Potential Health Benefit of Garlic Based on Human Intervention Studies: A Brief Overview
A comprehensive review from 2020: a very long article!
