title: How does garlic exert its hypocholesterolaemic action? The tellurium hypothesis.
abstract: The efficacy of garlic as a lipid-lowering agent is being increasingly recognized, but the biochemical mechanisms underlying this action are currently unknown. It is proposed that organic tellurium compounds, which are found in high concentration in fresh garlic buds, may contribute to this action by inhibiting squalene epoxidase, the penultimate enzyme in the synthetic pathway of cholesterol. Weanling rats fed a diet rich in tellurium develop a demyelinating polyneuropathy due to inhibition of this enzyme in peripheral nerves. Chronic exposure to small amounts of tellurium found in garlic might reduce endogenous cholesterol production through inhibition of hepatic squalene epoxidase and so reduce cholesterol levels. Tellurium may also contribute to the characteristic odour of garlic since the most obvious clinical sign of tellurium poisoning is a garlic-like odour.
authors.affiliation: University of Cambridge Department of Anatomy, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Larner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008954:Models, Biological; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D050603:Squalene Monooxygenase; D013691:Tellurium / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D010105:Oxygenases; D050603:Squalene Monooxygenase; D013691:Tellurium