Wild garlic has a greater effect than regular garlic on blood pressure and blood chemistries of rats.
When groups of 10 Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) were fed diets containing either 1% w/w regular garlic (Allium sativum) (AS) or 1% w/w wild garlic (Allium ursinum) (AU) for 45 days, the final mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was reduced significantly compared to control (C) (C 189; AS 175; Au 173 mm Hg). Compared to C, body weight and circulating glucose and triglyceride levels were not significantly different; but circulating insulin was significantly higher (C 23.6; AS 33.9; AU 29.5 uIU/dl), and total cholesterol was significantly lower (C 133; AS 115; AU 117 mg/dl) in the two groups consuming AS or AU. HDL rose in the two garlic groups, but the differences from C were statistically significant only for the AU group. In a second study, the effects of a lower dose of dietary AS and AU (0.1% w/w) on SBP and various blood chemistries were compared head-to-head in 80 SHR-40 control and 40 test rats. Both AS and AU decreased SBP significantly compared to a control group of 10 SHR followed simultaneously. However, AU at this lower concentration produced a significantly greater SBP-lowering effect compared to the AS group. In addition, AU decreased total cholesterol significantly and tended to increase HDL compared to AS. Accordingly, the results suggest that AU has a greater therapeutic benefit compared to AS at a given concentration.
Preuss
H G
HG
Department of Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA. preusshg@georgetown.edu
Clouatre
D
D
Mohamadi
A
A
Jarrell
S T
ST
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005737:Garlic / Q000145:classification; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D013599:Systole; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol