title: Systemic production of IFN-alpha by garlic (Allium sativum) in humans.
abstract: The effect of foods on the production of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is currently unknown. Garlic (Allium sativum) used as a folk medicine is reported to stimulate nitric oxide (NO) production. We investigated the systemic increase of NO due to the ingestion of garlic on the plasma IFN-alpha level in normal volunteers. Normal volunteers (10 groups, 10 in each group) ate 2 g fresh garlic, and plasma NO and IFN-alpha levels were determined after 2 and 4 h. The participants were also asked to eat garlic for various periods of time, and plasma NO and IFN-alpha were similarly assayed. Ingestion of 2 g fresh, but not boiled, garlic was found to increase the basal plasma level of NO from 2.7 +/- 0.1 microM to 8.76 +/- 0.21 microM at 2 and 4 h, respectively. The basal plasma IFN-alpha level increased from 9.51 +/- 0.26 nM to 46.3 +/- 1.2 nM in normal volunteers (n = 10) at the same time. The chronic eating of garlic was found to maintain IFN-alpha at high levels for at least 7 days. The exposure of neutrophils to garlic in vivo or in vitro, which also stimulated synthesis of NO in these cells, was found to stimulate IFN-alpha synthesis as measured by the stimulation of IFN-alpha mRNA synthesis. Thus, consumption of garlic resulted in stimulated synthesis of NO and, in turn, IFN-alpha in humans, which could be beneficial in viral or proliferative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Sinha Institute of Medical Science & Technology, 288 Kendua Main Road, Garia, Calcutta 700 084, India.
authors.forename: Mau
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Girish
authors.forename: Soumendra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Karmohapatra
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Samad
authors.forename: Asru K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sinha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005737:Garlic; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009569:Nitric Oxide