title: Antileishmanial and Immunomodulatory Activity of Allium sativum (Garlic): A Review.
abstract: Leishmaniasis is caused by an obligate intracellular protozoa belonging to Leishmania genus. The current drugs for treatment of leishmaniasis possess many disadvantages; therefore, researchers are continuously looking for the more effective and safer drugs. The aim of this study is to review the effectiveness, toxicities, and possible mechanisms of pharmaceutical actions of different garlic extracts and organosulfur compounds isolated from garlic against Leishmania spp. in a variety of in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials reports. All relevant databases were searched using the terms "Allium sativum," "Garlic," "Allicin," "Ajoene," "Leishmania," "in vitro," "in vivo," and "clinical trial," alone or in combination from 5 English databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar) and 3 Persian databases (Scientific Information Database, Iran Medex, and Magiran) from 1990 to 2014. In summary, garlic with immunomodulatory effects and apoptosis induction contributes to the treatment of leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foroutan-Rad
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center and Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Khosrow Hazrati
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Tappeh
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center and Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran khademvatan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khademvatan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D004220:Disulfides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D005737:Garlic; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013454:Sulfoxides
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D004220:Disulfides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; D013454:Sulfoxides; C006452:allicin; C048980:ajoene
keywords: Allium sativum; Leishmania; ajoene; allicin; garlic; organosulfur compounds