title: Dose-dependent influence of commercial garlic (Allium sativum) on rats fed cholesterol-containing diet.
abstract: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the dose-dependent influence of commercial garlic on rats fed cholesterol-containing diets. It was found that commercial garlic contains high concentrations of dietary fibers, microelements, and total polyphenols, and its total antioxidant capacity as determined by two independent assays [1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS)] was similar to that of the original garlic samples. Wistar rats (35) were randomly divided into five diet groups, named control, Chol, Garlic500, Garlic750, and Garlic1000. Control rats were fed basal diet (BD), which included wheat starch, casein, soybean oil, and vitamin and mineral mixtures. To the BD of the Chol group was added 1% of cholesterol. To the BD of the other three groups (Garlic500, Garlic750, and Garlic1000) were added 1% of cholesterol and commercial garlic equal to 500, 750, and 1000 mg of raw garlic per kilogram of animal weight. After 4 weeks of the experiment only in rats from the Garlic500 group were a significant hindering in the rise in plasma lipids and also a significant hindering in a decrease of plasma antioxidant activity registered. A significant decrease in plasma circulating fibrinogen and an increase in the clotting time were found in the same group of rats (P < 0.05 in both cases). The fibrinogenolytic effect of garlic diets was visualized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the fibrinogen fraction of Garlic500 the 66, 24, and 14 kDa protein bands were detected with weaker protein intensity than in the corresponding ones in the Garlic750 and Garlic1000 diet groups. In conclusion, the positive influences of commercial garlic on plasma lipids, proteins, antioxidant activity, and some indices of blood coagulation are dose-dependent. Therefore, commercial garlic (Elena, Zelazków, Poland) could be a valuable component of atherosclerosis-preventing diets only in optimal doses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. gorin@cc.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: Shela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gorinstein
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leontowicz
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leontowicz
authors.forename: Zenon
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jastrzebski
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drzewiecki
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Namiesnik
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zachwieja
authors.forename: Henryk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Zev
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tashma
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katrich
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trakhtenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004032:Diet; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D059808:Polyphenols; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005419:Flavonoids; D008055:Lipids; D010636:Phenols; D059808:Polyphenols; D005340:Fibrinogen