The cytotoxic effect of ajoene, a natural product from garlic, investigated with different cell lines.
The sulfur-containing compound ajoene (4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene-9-oxide) which arises from alliin, a cysteine derivative stored in garlic bulbs, was produced synthetically by decomposition of allicin. Its cytotoxic effect was tested using human primary fibroblasts (FS4), a permanent, non-tumorgenic cell line derived from baby hamster kidney cells (BHK21) and a tumorgenic lymphoid cell line derived from a Burkitt lymphoma (BJA-B). The cytotoxic action was in the range 2-50 micrograms/ml depending on the cell density. ED50 values, estimated on the basis of fmol ajoene/cell, revealed slightly higher doses for the primary cell (FS4) than the permanent line (BHK), whereas the tumorgenic BJA-B cells were most sensitive.
GBF, Braunschweig, F.R.G.
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Scharfenberg
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Wagner
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D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D006224:Cricetinae; D004220:Disulfides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005737:Garlic; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000633:toxicity; D013454:Sulfoxides
D004220:Disulfides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; D013454:Sulfoxides; C006452:allicin; C048980:ajoene