garlic
The effects of repeated exposure to garlic-flavored milk on the nursling's behavior.

Mennella JA, Beauchamp GK.

Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-3308.

The present study investigated whether prior consumption of garlic by nursing mothers modifies their infant's behaviors during breast-feeding when the mothers again consume garlic. Three groups of mother-infant dyads were studied. The groups differed in the type (placebo or garlic) or the timing (d 5-7 or 8-10) of capsule ingestion by the mothers and, consequently, in the amount and recency of exposure their infants had to garlic-flavored milk during an 11-d experimental period. Each mother-infant pair was observed during two 4-h test sessions. The first session occurred at the beginning of the experimental period, when the mothers ingested placebo capsules (d 4); the second occurred at the end of the experimental period, when they ingested garlic capsules (d 11). During test sessions, the infants fed on demand and were weighed before and after each breast-feeding to determine the amount of milk ingested, and their behaviors during breast-feeding were monitored by videotape. The results demonstrated an effect of prior experience with garlic in mother's milk. The infants who had no exposure to garlic volatiles in their mothers' milk during the experimental period spent significantly more time breast-feeding after their mothers ingested garlic capsules compared with those infants whose mothers repeatedly consumed garlic during the experimental period. Moreover, the former group of infants spent significantly more time attached to their mothers' breasts during the 4-h test session in which their mothers ingested the garlic compared with the session in which she ingested the placebo.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8108198&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
[Effect of garlicin on adhesion molecules expression and deformability of peripheral neutrophils in patients with acute cerebral infarction]

[Article in Chinese]

Zhang JL, Sun RJ, Shi ZX.

China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of garlicin on adhension molecules CD11a and deformability of peripheral neutrophil in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI). METHODS: Neutrophils were separated from peripheral blood of healthy subjects and ACI patients, and incubated in 37 degrees C in vitro. The CD11a expression was detected by antibody fluorescence labeling method and the time of neutrophils passing millipore membrane were measured for calculation of the filter index. RESULTS: CD11a expression rate in healthy subjects was 34.64 +/- 25.34%, while in patients was 55.35 +/- 30.54%, difference between them was significant (P < 0.05). After garlicin treatment, it lowered to 49.16 +/- 31.68%, as compared with untreated group, P < 0.05. The neutrophil filter index in healthy group, untreated group, garlicin treated group and Nimodipine treated group was 0.87 +/- 0.46, 6.42 +/- 6.40, 3.47 +/- 3.67 and 5.03 +/- 3.72 respectively, comparison between that in the garlicin treated group and in untreated group showed significant difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Garlicin could effectively inhibit the CD11a expression in peripheral blood neutrophils and improve the deformability of the neutrophils in ACI patients.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12585185&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
Garlic reduces plasma lipids by inhibiting hepatic cholesterol and triacylglycerol synthesis.

Yeh YY, Yeh SM.

Nutrition Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802.

Prompted by the reported hypolipidemic activity of garlic, the present study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism(s) underlying the cholesterol-lowering effects of garlic. Rat hepatocytes in primary culture were used to determine the short-term effects of garlic preparations on [1-14C]acetate and [2-3H]glycerol incorporation into cholesterol, fatty acids and glycerol lipids. When compared with the control group, cells treated with a high concentration of garlic extracts [i.e., petroleum ether- (PEF), methanol- (MEF) and water-extractable (WEF) fractions from fresh garlic] showed decreased rates of [1-14C]acetate incorporation into cholesterol (by 37-64%) and into fatty acids (by 28-64%). Kyolic containing S-allyl cysteine and organosulfur compounds inhibited cholesterogenesis in a concentration dependent manner with a maximum inhibition of 87% at 0.4 mM. At this concentration, Kyolic decreased [1-14C]acetate incorporation into fatty acids by 67%. S-allyl cysteine at 2.0 and 4.0 mM inhibited cholesterogenesis by 20-25%. PEF, MEF and WEF depressed the rates of [2-3H]glycerol incorporation into triacylglycerol, diacylglycerol and phospholipids in the presence of acetate, but not in the presence of oleate. The results suggest that the hypocholesterolemic effect of garlic stems, in part, from decreased hepatic cholesterogenesis, whereas the triacylglycerol-lowering effect appears to be due to inhibition of fatty acid synthesis. Primary hepatocyte cultures as used in the present study have been proven useful as tools for screening the anticholesterogenic properties of garlic principles.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8170288&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
Preventive action of garlic on aflatoxin B1-induced carcinogenesis in the toad Bufo regularis.

el-Mofty MM, Sakr SA, Essawy A, Abdel Gawad HS.

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt.

The action of fresh minced garlic and garlic oil on aflatoxin B1- (AFB1) induced carcinogenesis in the toad Bufo regularis was studied. Feeding toads with AFB1 induced tumors in 19% of the animals. Animals given AFB1 together with fresh garlic or garlic oil showed a significant reduction in tumor incidence. The tumor incidences were 3% and 9% in animals given AFB1 plus garlic and AFB1 plus garlic oil, respectively. In all three groups, the tumors were located in the liver (hepatocellular carcinomas), in addition to the kidney in animals treated with AFB1 alone and together with garlic. The kidney tumors were diagnosed as metastatic deposits from the primary liver tumors. It is speculated that one or more constituents of garlic may be responsible for inhibition of AFB1-induced carcinogenesis in B. regularis.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8183725&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
Effect of garlic on lead contents in chicken tissues.

Hanafy MS, Shalaby SM, el-Fouly MA, Abd el-Aziz MI, Soliman FA.

Dept. Vet. Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

Lead has been indicted to be involved in the aetiology of human and animal diseases. In view of earlier literature indicating that garlic antagonized lead toxicity, we have investigated the possible use of garlic feeding to clean up lead contents from chickens which had been exposed to natural or experimental lead pollution and consequently eliminate one of the sources of lead pollution to human consumers. Groups of chickens (10 birds each) were given lead alone (lead acetate equivalent to 5 mg lead/kg B.W.) or both lead and garlic simultaneously or lead followed by garlic post-treatment or garlic alone or distilled water. Lead concentrations were reduced in muscle and liver tissues of chickens given both lead and garlic simultaneously or as a post-treatment. Reduction in tissue-lead concentrations were greater in birds given garlic as a post-treatment than those given garlic simultaneously with lead. The results indicate that garlic contain chelating compounds capable of enhancing elimination of lead. Garlic feeding can be exploited to safeguard human consumers by minimizing lead concentrations in meat of food animals which had been grown in a lead polluted environment.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8205968&dopt=Abstract garlic