Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori by garlic extract (Allium sativum)

Authors : Luigina Cellini

*
,
Emanuela Di Campli,
Michele Masulli,
Soraya Di Bartolomeo and
Nerino Allocati

Article first published online: 17 JAN 2006
FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology
Volume 13, Issue 4, pages 273277, April 1996

Abstract :

Keywords:
Helicobacter pylori;
Aqueous garlic extract;
Minimum inhibitory concentration;
Minimum bactericidal concentration;
Omeprazole

Abstract The antibacterial effect of aqueous garlic extract (AGE) was investigated against Helicobacter pylori. Sixteen clinical isolates and three
reference strains of H. pylori were studied. Two different varieties of garlic were used. The concentration of AGE required to inhibit the bacterial growth
was between 25 mg ml
1
. The concentration, for both AGE types, to inhibit 90% (MIC90) of isolates was 5 mg ml
1
. The minimum bactericidal
concentration (MBC) was usually equal to, or two-fold higher than, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Heat treatment of extracts reduced the
inhibitory or bactericidal activity against H. pylori; the boiled garlic extract showed a loss of efficacy from two-to four-fold the values of MIC and the MBC
obtained with fresh AGR. The antibacterial activity of garlic was also studied after combination with a proton pump-inhibitor (omeprazole) in a ratio of
250:1. A synergistic effect was found in 47% of strains studied; an antagonistic effect was not observed.

Effect of raw versus boiled aqueous extract of garlic and onion on
platelet aggregation
Authors :
M. Ali
a
,
T. Bordia
a
,
T. Mustafa
b


Volume 60, Issue 1, January 1999, Pages 4347
Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V. except certain content provided by third parties. ScienceDirect is a registered trademark
of Elsevier B.V.
Abstract
The effects of aqueous extracts of raw and boiled garlic and onions were studied in vitro on the collagen-induced platelet aggregation
using rabbit and human platelet-rich plasma. A dose dependant inhibition of rabbit platelet aggregation was observed with garlic. Onion
also showed dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the collagen-induced platelet aggregation but this inhibition was of a lesser
magnitude compared to garlic when related to dose. The concentration required for 50% inhibition of the platelet aggregation for garlic
was calculated to be approximately 6.6 mg ml
1
plasma, whereas the concentration for onion was 90 mg ml
1
plasma. Boiled garlic and
onion extracts showed a reduced inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation. Garlic but not onion significantly inhibits human platelet
aggregation in a dose-dependent fashion. The potency of garlic in inhibiting the collagen-induced platelet aggregation is approximately
similar to that of rabbit platelets (8.8 mg ml
1
produced 50% inhibition of platelet aggregation). The results of this study show that garlic is
about 13 times more potent than onion in inhibiting platelet aggregation and suggest that garlic and onion could be more potent
inhibitors of blood platelet aggregation if consumed in raw than in cooked or boiled form.

A quantitative assessment of the antimicrobial
activity of garlic (Allium sativum)
L. P. Rees,
S. F. Minney,
N. T. Plummer,
J. H. Slater,
D. A. Skyrme

L.P. Rees, S.F. Minney and N.T. Plummer are with Interprise Ltd, Baglan Bay Industrial Park, Port Talbot SA 12 7DJ, UK.
J.H. Slater and D.A. Skyrme are with the School of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Wales, Cardiff, P.O. Box 915,
Cardiff CF1 3TL, UK.

Abstract
An aqueous extract of freeze-dried garlic (Allium sativum), when incorporated into growth media, inhibited many
representative bacteria, yeasts, fungi and a virus. All microorganisms tested were susceptible to garlic. Quantitative
assessment of the minimum inhibitory concentrations for bacteria and yeasts showed values ranging from 0.8 to 40.0 mg
garlic ml
-1
. Fungal radial colony growth was inhibited by at least 25% at concentrations as low as 2.0 mg garlic ml
-1
. The
50% endpoint neutralization titre for rotavirus was 2.4 to 2.8 g ml
-1
. Lactic acid bacteria were the least sensitive
microorganisms to the inhibitory effects of garlic. In mixed culture studies of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Escherichia
coli, garlic prevented the establishment of E. coli, although the final outcome of competition was not affected.

Inhibitory effect of garlic extract on oral bacteria
Authors :
I.M. Bakri,
C.W.I. Douglas

Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V. except certain content provided by third parties. ScienceDirect is a registered trademark
of Elsevier B.V.
Volume 50, Issue 7, July 2005, Pages 645651

Summary
Garlic (Allium sativum) has long been known to have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties but there are few data on its
effects against oral bacterial species particularly putative periodontal pathogens or their enzymes. Filter sterilised, aqueous extract of
garlic was tested for ability to inhibit the growth of a range of oral species and to inhibit the trypsin-like and total protease
activity Porphyromonas gingivalis. The garlic extract (57.1% (w/v), containing 220 g/ml allicin) inhibited the growth and killed most of
the organisms tested. In general, the minimal inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations for the Gram-negative strains (garlic
MIC range 35.71.1 mg/ml; allicin mean MIC 4.1 g/ml; mean MBC 7.9 g/ml) were lower than those for the Gram-positive strains
tested (garlic MIC range142.735.7 mg/ml; allicin mean MIC 27.5 g/ml; mean MBC 91.9 g/ml). Also, of the organisms tested, the
putative periodontal pathogens had among the lowest MICs (17.81.1 mg/ml garlic) and MBCs (35.71.1 mg/ml garlic). Time-kill curves
for Streptococcus mutans and P. ginigvalis, showed that killing of the latter started almost immediately, whereas there was a delay
before S. mutans was killed. The garlic extract also inhibited the trypsin-like and total protease activity of P. gingivalis by 92.7% and
94.88%, respectively. These data indicate that garlic extract inhibits the growth of oral pathogens and certain proteases and so may
have therapeutic value, particularly for periodontitis.
Keywords
Garlic;
Allicin;
Oral bacteria;
P. gingivalis;
Gingipain