Effect of Allicin against Ischemia/Hypoxia-Induced H9c2 Myoblast Apoptosis via eNOS/NO Pathway-Mediated Antioxidant Activity

Management of wounds in diabetes by administering allicin and quercetin in emulsion form as wound medicine in diabetic rat models

Wounds in diabetes is a complex problem that requires effective treatment at a high cost. Adjuvant therapy from natural bioactive elements can be an alternative to overcome problems in diabetic wound healing disorders. Allicin and quercetin are natural bioactive substances contained in several fruit or vegetable plants that have various pharmacological effects. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of allicin and quercetin in emulsion form as wound medicine in helping the wound healing process. Diabetic wistar rats with wounds on their backs measuring 1 × 1 cm were divided into four treatment groups which were given wound medicine once a day for seven days according to their distribution. The wound healing process was evaluated on the third and seventh day. Data were observed and analyzed using appropriate statistical tools. Measurement of wound healing indicators was carried out by examining wound contraction and histopathological examination showing that the treatment group given the allicin and quercetin formula experienced an improvement compared to the treatment group without allicin and quercetin. Allicin and quercetin increase the percentage of wound contraction, increase the density of blood vessels and the epithelialization process in the wound so that the wound healing process becomes faster. In conclusion, allicin and quercetin can be effective adjuvant therapies in helping wound healing in diabetes. Wound medication in the form of an emulsion is an effective choice, because it can maintain the stability of the allicin and quercetin content and can make the wound environment moist.

Bioavailability, Health Benefits, and Delivery Systems of Allicin: A Review

Garlic has been used worldwide as a spice due to its pungent taste and flavor-enhancing properties. As a main biologically active component of the freshly crushed garlic extracts, allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate) is converted from alliin by alliinase upon damaging the garlic clove, which has been reported to have many potent beneficial biological functions. In this work, allicin formation, stability, bioavailability, and metabolism process are examined and summarized. The biological functions of allicin and potential underlying mechanisms are reviewed and discussed, including antioxidation, anti-inflammation, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, antineurodegenerative, antitumor, and antiobesity effects. Novel delivery systems of allicin with enhanced stability, encapsulation efficiency, and bioavailability are also evaluated, such as nanoparticles, gels, liposomes, and micelles. This study could provide a comprehensive understanding of the physiochemical properties and health benefits of allicin, with great potential for further applications in the food and nutraceutical industries.

The Therapeutic Impact of Garlic (Allium Sativum) on Oxidative Stress Markers among Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blinded Clinical Trial

Background

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of garlic supplementation on oxidative stress markers in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods

Eighty patients with PCOS were randomized and instructed to consume either garlic supplementation (800 mg/day) or a placebo (starch) for 8 weeks. They were also asked to avoid intake of any other supplement during the study. Oxidative stress-related markers including total antioxidant capacity, catalase, glutathione, malondialdehyde concentrations, and anthropometric measures were assessed at baseline and end of the trial.

Results

Garlic supplementation resulted in significant improvement in catalase concentration (1.82 ± 9.28 vs. -1.55 ± 8.66; P value: 0.03), glutathione levels (29.15 ± 57.53 vs. 2.42 ± 77.51; P value: 0.048) as well as weight (-0.64 ± 1.94 vs. 0.11 ± 0.82; P value: 0.04), body mass index (BMI; -0.25 ± 0.75 vs. 0.05 ± 0.61; P value: 0.04), and waist circumference (-0.21 ± 0.77 vs. 0.02 ± 0.65; P value: 0.01). However, we failed to detect any significant change in hip circumference, waist to hip circumference ratio, total antioxidant capacity, and malondialdehyde levels between the two groups.

Conclusions

The present study indicates that garlic supplementation could be beneficial in improving oxidative stress and weight loss among PCOS women.

Cellular Mechanisms Underlying the Cardioprotective Role of Allicin on Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of diseases in which the common denominator is the affection of blood vessels, heart tissue, and heart rhythm. The genesis of CVD is complex and multifactorial; therefore, approaches are often based on multidisciplinary management and more than one drug is used to achieve the optimal control of risk factors (dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypertrophy, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation). In this context, allicin, a sulfur compound naturally derived from garlic, has shown beneficial effects on several cardiovascular risk factors through the modulation of cellular mechanisms and signaling pathways. Effective pharmacological treatments for CVD or its risk factors have not been developed or are unknown in clinical practice. Thus, this work aimed to review the cellular mechanisms through which allicin exerts its therapeutic effects and to show why it could be a therapeutic option for the prevention or treatment of CVD and its risk factors.

Allicin Promoted Reducing Effect of Garlic Powder through Acrylamide Formation Stage

Background: Acrylamide is formed during food heating and is neurotoxic to animals and potentially carcinogenic to humans. It is important to reduce acrylamide content during food processing. Researchers have suggested that garlic powder could reduce acrylamide content, but the key substance and acrylamide reduction pathway of garlic powder was unclear. Methods: The inhibitory effect of garlic powder on acrylamide in asparagine/glucose solution and a fried potato model system were firstly evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of allicin on the amount of produced acrylamide in the asparagine/glucose solution model system and fried potatoes was studied with kinetic analysis. Results: The freeze-dried garlic powder had a higher inhibition rate (41.0%) than oven-dried garlic powder (maximum inhibition rate was 37.3%), and allicin had a 71.3% attribution to the reduction of acrylamide content. Moreover, the inhibition rate of allicin had a nonlinear relationship with the addition level increase. The kinetic analysis indicated that garlic powder and allicin could reduce acrylamide content through the AA formation stage, but not the decomposition stage. Conclusions: Allicin was the key component of garlic powder in reducing acrylamide content during acrylamide formation stage. This research could provide a new method to reduce acrylamide content during food processing and expand the application area of garlic.

Allicin protects against renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis

Background

Studies have demonstrated that allicin may play critical roles in the procession of ischemia–reperfusion(I/R) injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of allicin on renal I/R injury by attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Methods

To establish a model of renal I/R, the right kidney underwent 12 h reperfusion after 45 min ischemia, allicin was administered intraperitoneally at concentrations of 40, 50 or 60 mg/kg. NRK-52E cells were treated with allicin at concentrations of 1, 3 or 5 μM in 24 h hypoxia/ 6 h reoxygenation(H/R) treatments. Indicators of HE, oxidative stress, apoptosis were measured to evaluate the effect of aliicin on renal I/R injury.

Results

Allicin protected renal I/R injury by ameliorating histological injury and decreasing the oxidative stress in renal tissues. Meanwhile, allicin significantly downregulated the expression of Bax and caspase-3, upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 in I/R renal tissues and H/R treated NRK-52E cells.

Conclusions

Allicin may exert anti-apoptotic and antioxidative effects to promote renal function recovery in I/R renal tissues and H/R treated NRK-52E cells. Taken together, allicin may be a potential novel therapy option for future renal injury protection.

Allicin ameliorates renal ischemia/reperfusion injury via inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation in rats

Allicin has been reported to play a biological role in human pathophysiological processes via interaction with numerous signaling pathways and gene expression alteration. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of allicin against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (RIRI) in rats. In the present study, the RIRI model with 45-min ischemia and 22-h reperfusion in rats was generated and allicin was used as the intervention. Changes in renal tissue pathomorphology, renal function, oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis were evaluated in the RIRI model in rats. Compared with those in the RIRI group, renal function, renal pathological injury, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties were markedly improved in the RIRI+allicin group. Thus, our research suggested that allicin exerted its protective effect against ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal injury by regulating apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammatory response in rats.

The protective effect of allicin on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion by inhibition of Ca2+ overload-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis via the PI3K/GRK2/PLC-γ/IP3R signaling pathway

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of allicin on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury.

Methods: We investigated the mechanisms by which allicin attenuated the MI/R injury by focusing on phosphoinositide 3-kinase, G protein coupled receptor kinases 2, phospholipase Cγ and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Sixty male mice were randomly assigned into three groups: repeated MI/R (model), sham-operated (control), and MI/R+ allicin group (allicin). Ultrasound examination was used to examine the cardiac function. Masson staining was used to evaluate the myocardial infarct area. TUNEL assay was performed to examine the anti-apoptotic effect of allicin. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways were analyzed by mRNA microarray analysis. Immunofluorescence staining and western blot were carried out to detect the effect of allicin on the PI3K. A pan-PLC activator, m-3M3FBS, was applied to investigate whether allicin induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis was via the GRK2/PLC/IP3R signaling pathway.

Results: Masson staining and the TUNEL assay revealed that allicin reduced infarct size and played an anti-apoptotic role in M/IR. Ultrasound examination revealed that allicin improved cardiac function after M/IR injury. Gene ontology analysis indicated that the calcium signaling pathway and PI3KCA(PI3K) were selected. Immunofluorescence staining and western blot exposed that PI3K was activated by allicin during MI/R injury. Fura-2AM staining revealed that the PI3K -mediated GRK2/PLC-γ/IP3R pathway may be involved in the protective effect of allicin on MI/R injury.

Conclusions: Allicin has a protective effect on MI/R injury. This effect might be associated with the inhibition of Ca²⁺ overload-induced apoptosis and the inhibition of the PI3K -mediated GRK2/PLC-γ/IP3R signaling pathway.

Cardioprotective effect of garlic extract in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in a rat model: assessment of pro-apoptotic caspase-3 gene expression

Background

Myocardial Infarction (MI), also known as heart attack, is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. Although certain drugs or mechanical means are used, day by day natural products such as herbs and spices based MI treatment is getting much popularity over the drugs or mechanical means for their pharmacological effects and have low or no side effects. This study was designed to assess the cardio-protective effect of methanolic extract of Bangladeshi multi clove garlic (Allium sativum) cultivar, a highly believed spice having cardioprotective activity, against isoproterenol (ISO) induced MI through cardiac histopathology as well as cardiac apoptotic caspase-3 gene expression study in female Wistar albino rats. Four groups containing 35 rats treated with respective agents like distill water / garlic extract (200 mg/kg-body-weight/day) up to 28 days and normal saline / ISO (100 mg/kg-body-weight/day) on 29th and 30th day were sacrificed (two rats/group/sacrifice) on the day 31, 46 and 61 and collecting the heart, cardiac histology and gene expression analysis were performed.

Results

ISO induced MI rats pretreated with garlic extract revealed up regulated expression of the cardiac apoptotic caspase-3 gene at the initial stage but finally the expressions gradually getting down regulated along with gradual improving the cardiac damage caused by apoptosis. Furthermore, only garlic extract pretreated rats were found undamaged cardioarchitecture and normal expressions of this gene.

Conclusions

These findings suggested that garlic extract confers having significant cardioprotective effect and consuming this spice with regular diet may reduce the risk of MI.

Quantitative Determination of Marker Compounds and Fingerprint Analysis of the Seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica

In traditional Chinese medicine, the seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd. have been widely used for treatment of cough, skin diseases, diarrhea, fever, schistosomiasis, amoebic dysentery, and gastrointestinal problems, especially in the treatment of vitiligo for thousands of years in China. In this study, an effective, reliable, and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method was developed for quantitative analysis of 3 marker bioactive compounds and chemical fingerprint of the seeds of V. anthelmintica. Data corresponding to common peak areas and HPLC chromatographic fingerprints were analyzed by exploratory hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) to extract information of the most significant variables contributing to characterization and classification of the analyzed samples. Based on variety and origin, the high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method validated the chemical fingerprint results used to screen the in vitro antioxidant activity of V. anthelmintica. The results show that the developed method has potential application values for the quality consistency evaluation and identification of similar instant V. anthelmintica samples. When considered collectively, this research results provide a scientific basis for the improvement of standardization and specification of V. anthelmintica medicinal materials and provide a pathway for the development and utilization of references for the identification of V. anthelmintica herbs.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, evaluating the garlic supplement effects on some serum biomarkers of oxidative stress, and quality of life in women with rheumatoid arthritis

AIM

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is a prevalent immune-inflammatory disease, which is associated with disabling pain. Oxidative stress might play a role in RA pathogenesis and outcomes. According to the antioxidant properties of garlic, the current study was performed to evaluate the garlic supplement effects on some serum levels of oxidative stress biomarkers, and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS

Seventy women with RA participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-design trial. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, receiving two tablets of either 500 mg garlic or placebo daily for 8 weeks. Serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and quality of life were determined at baseline and end of week 8. A health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) was used to evaluate the quality of life related to health.

RESULTS

Of 70 patients enrolled in the trial, 62 subjects were included in the final analysis. At the end of the study, there was a significant increase in serum levels of TAC in the garlic group as compared with the placebo group (26.58 ± 77.30 nmol of Trolox equivalent/ml vs 16.11 ± 0.92 nmol of Trolox equivalent/mL; P = .026). In addition, MDA levels were significantly decreased in the intervention group compared with the control group (-0.82 ± 1.99 nmol/mL vs 0.36 ± 2.57 nmol/mL; P = .032). Pain after activity and HAQ scores decreased in the garlic group compared with the placebo (-11.96 ± 13.43 mm vs -0.06 ± 13.41 mm; P < .001, 0.17 ± 20 vs 0.05 ± 0.15; P < .001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that garlic supplementation for 8 weeks resulted in significant improvements in oxidative stress, HAQ in women with RA.

Allicin pharmacology: Common molecular mechanisms against neuroinflammation and cardiovascular diseases

According to investigations in phytomedicine and ethnopharmacology, the therapeutic properties of garlic (Allium sativum) have been described by ancestral cultures. Notwithstanding, it is of particular concern to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this millenary empirical knowledge. Allicin (S-allyl prop-2-ene-1-sulfinothioate), a thioester of sulfenic acid, is one of the main bioactive compounds present in garlic, and it is responsible for the particular aroma of the spice. The pharmacological attributes of allicin integrate a broad spectrum of properties (e.g., anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antibiotic, antifungal, antiparasitic, antioxidant, nephroprotective, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and anti-tumoral activities, among others). The primary goal of the present article is to review and clarify the common molecular mechanisms by which allicin and its derivates molecules may perform its therapeutic effects on cardiovascular diseases and neuroinflammatory processes. The intricate interface connecting the cardiovascular and nervous systems suggests that the impairment of one organ could contribute to the dysfunction of the other. Allicin might target the cornerstone of the pathological processes underlying cardiovascular and neuroinflammatory disorders, like inflammation, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) hyperactivation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Indeed, the current evidence suggests that allicin improves mitochondrial function by enhancing the expression of HSP70 and NRF2, decreasing RAAS activation, and promoting mitochondrial fusion processes. Finally, allicin represents an attractive therapeutic alternative targeting the complex interaction between cardiovascular and neuroinflammatory disorders.

Natural Hydrogen Sulfide Donors from Allium sp. as a Nutraceutical Approach in Type 2 Diabetes Prevention and Therapy

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a socially relevant chronic disease with high prevalence worldwide. DM may lead to several vascular, macrovascular, and microvascular complications (cerebrovascular, coronary artery, and peripheral arterial diseases, retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy), often accelerating the progression of atherosclerosis. Dietary therapy is generally considered to be the first step in the treatment of diabetic patients. Among the current therapeutic options, such as insulin therapy and hypoglycemic drugs, in recent years, attention has been shifting to the effects and properties-that are still not completely known-of medicinal plants as valid and inexpensive therapeutic supports with limited side effects. In this review, we report the relevant effects of medicinal plants and nutraceuticals in diabetes. In particular, we paid attention to the organosulfur compounds (OSCs) present in plant extracts that due to their antioxidant, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects, can contribute as cardioprotective agents in type 2 DM. OSCs derived from garlic (Allium sp.), due to their properties, can represent a valuable support to the diet in type 2 DM, as outlined in this manuscript based on both in vitro and in vivo studies. Moreover, a relevant characteristic of garlic OSCs is their ability to produce the gasotransmitter H₂S, and many of their effects can be explained by this property. Indeed, in recent years, several studies have demonstrated the relevant effects of endogenous and exogenous H₂S in human DM, including by in vitro and in vivo experiments and clinical trials; therefore, here, we summarize the effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms of H₂S and natural H₂S donors.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Unfolded Protein Response Pathways Involved in the Health-Promoting Effects of Allicin on the Jejunum

Intestinal endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) triggered by adverse factors disturbs the normal function of the intestine. Allicin has been reported to promote intestinal health and development. In the present study, we established in vivo (35-day-old weaned piglets, 4-week-old mice) and in vitro (IPEC-J2 cell line) ERS models to explore the possible mechanisms by which allicin may benefit intestinal health. This study revealed the following: (1) allicin supplementation improved intestinal morphological indices and ameliorated mild ERS in the jejunum of the weaned piglets; (2) allicin supplementation decreased cellular reactive oxygen species and upregulated the XBP-1s signaling pathways in IPEC-J2 cells; (3) allicin supplementation reduced the prolonged ERS-mediated apoptosis of IPEC-J2 cells and in the jejunal tissues of the KM mice; (4) allicin supplementation enhanced the intercellular junction protein levels of jejunal cells by alleviating the prolonged ERS. These novel findings suggest that eating garlic could alleviate some intestinal malfunctions associated with ERS.