DOI: 10.21276/sajp.2019.8.8.2

Pages: 394-401

Garlic is a worldwide cultivated crop species which is used in culinary as condiment or as flavoring agent and its antioxidant and immunomodulatory property are well-known for human health and beneficial effects. Many different cultures have recognized the potential use of garlic for prevention and treatment of different diseases and it was noticed that among herbs garlic is on top in regard to its use in household. It contains sulfur compounds such as allicin, diallyl disulfide, S-allylcysteine, and diallyl trisulfide which can be extracted by distillation, soxhlation, aqueous extraction. Garlic oil is extracted by steam distillation. Recent studies support that garlic is as an antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-parasite due to the presence of sulphur compound namely thio-2-propene-1-sulfinic-acid S-allyl ester (Allicin). It shows antioxidant property due to its two pivotal organosulfur compounds: S-allylcysteine and S-allylmercaptocysteine. Garlic and its extract acts as cardioprotective and lowers serum cholesterol, inhibits different type of carcinogen (DMBA, DEN, NMBA, BP), antidiabetic. In this paper the traditional use of garlic and how these are still relevant in the modern science and medicine is depicted, an overview is given on a number of important plant and health aspects of garlic. However, the exact mechanism of all ingredients and their long-term effects are not fully understood, still the organosulfur compounds allicin, di allyl sulfide, di allyl trisulfide, ajoene etc have a huge margin of health bestowing properties.