Garlic.

Abstract

Garlic has a long tradition as a food and as a medicinal plant. Therapeutic effects, routes of application and modes of preparation of garlic are very varied. In order to be able to assess which mode of preparation is suitable for which application, it is necessary to explain certain substance characteristics of garlic. The garlic bulb contains cysteine sulphoxides belonging to the secondary plant components. During the processing these compounds undergo a rapid enzymatic respectively non-enzymatic conversion. Depending on the mode of preparation, different substances with different effects can be found in the resulting products. Most of the data available on the chemopreventive and curative effects of garlic is based on the use of the freshly prepared garlic. Epidemiological studies prove that the risk for different malignant diseases, especially of the gastro-intestinal tract is significantly reduced by regular consumption of large amount of garlic. In numerous investigations it was possible to demonstrate different pharmacological properties, for some cysteine sulphoxides, like antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant activity. The antioxidant potential of garlic is of great interest in connection with the antiatherosclerotic and cardioprotective effects observed epidemiologically and clinically.