Medicinal Properties of Garlic – A Concise Review

The objective of this review is to update and assess the medicinal properties of garlic includes immune functions, antibacterial activities, antifungal activities, antivirus activities, detoxification, anti-oxidant agent, prevent platelet aggregation, reduction in blood pressure, lowering of cholesterol- and triglyceride, prevention of arteriosclerosis, antithrombotic, anticancer effects. The scientific research shows that the wide variety of dietary and medicinal functions of garlic can be attributed to the sulfur compounds present in or produced from garlic. Chemical analysis of garlic cloves have revealed a concentration of sulfur-containing compounds (1—3%). Although garlic produces large number of sulfide compounds from a few sulfur containing amino acids, their functions are different from one another like allicin, diallyl, mono, di, tri, tetra, hexa and hepta sulfides, vinyldithiins and ajoenes. Allyl, propyl disulfide and other organic sulphide or sulphur compounds diallyl disulphide, allinase, alliin( S-allyl cysteine sulphoxide).