title: Influence of pH, concentration and light on stability of allicin in garlic (Allium sativum L.) aqueous extract as measured by UPLC.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Garlic is one of the most important bulb vegetables and is mainly used as a spice or flavoring agent for foods. It is also cultivated for its medicinal properties, attributable to sulfur compounds, of which allicin is the most important. However, the stability of allicin in garlic extract is not well understood. In this study, using UPLC, the stability of allicin extracted in water from garlic was evaluated in phosphate buffer at different temperatures under light and dark conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At room temperature, allicin in aqueous extract was most stable at pH 5-6 but degraded quickly at lower or higher pH. It began to degrade within 0.5 h and was not detectable after 2 h when the pH was higher than 11 or lower than 1.5. It degraded quickly when the temperature was higher than 40 °C and especially higher than 70 °C. At room temperature, allicin in water could be stored for 5 days without obvious degradation. Higher concentrations of allicin in solution were somewhat more stable than low concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Allicin extract was sensitive to pH and temperature of storage but not to light. Higher-concentration allicin solution was more stable.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Haiping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Xixiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Xinyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Jiangping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002681:China; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004220:Disulfides; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D061353:Food Storage; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008027:Light / Q000009:adverse effects; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004220:Disulfides; D005520:Food Preservatives; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; C006452:allicin
keywords: allicin; garlic; stability; ultra-performance liquid chromatography