Introduction: Garlic is a herbal plant that is native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran. It has a long history of several thousand years of human consumption and use. however, only recently have Allium sativum and its derivatives been proposed as promising candidates for maintaining the homeostasis of the immune system. The complex biochemistry of garlic makes it possible for variations in processing to yield different preparations with differences and diversities in outcome composition and compound proportion. Garlic extraction contains many compounds that have the ability to influence the immunity system: including the lectin family, Fructo-oligosaccharide, Na-fructosyl arginine, and many other active chemical compounds. There are many papers published with Garlic chemical effective gradients.
Methods: The main question this review aims is: Can Garlic extraction improve immune surveillance, improve the immune response, and/or help to reduce inflammation?
We studied the recent papers published in NCBI about the subject.
Results: Several studies have shown the effectiveness of Garlic extraction on modulating the immune response, which related to its protective effects. In a cell culture model, Garlic extraction supplementation was able to increase NK cell activation and cytotoxic T cells from isolated spleen cells from mice. Results also showed increased levels of Il-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ, Kyo et al. reported. In addition, Garlic extraction has been suggested as a preventive therapy for cancer through its immunomodulatory effects. In a mice study, AGE was able to modify cytokines production into a protective pattern by decreasing the levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 and reducing the number of T regulatory lymphocytes in the spleen; reported by Larypoor in 2013.
Sulfur compounds present in the extraction, have been proposed as a key regulator of the inflammatory response, mainly acting by attenuating NF-kB activation, suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. In a cell culture model, reported by Geng et al. (2016). Anandasadagopan et al. (2017) have recently demonstrated that administration of garlic extraction in rats significantly decreased the expression of NF-κB p65, TNF-α and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), exerting a protective effect against chromium-induced toxicity.
Conclusion: In summary, recent studies show that sulfur-containing compounds play a crucial immunomodulatory role, especially in the inflammatory response, and also in the regulation of redox status and oxidative stress response.
immunostimulatory aspects of Garlic extraction against the immunosuppression by aflatoxin B1was approved by Larypoor et al. They concluded that the extract alters the cytokine pattern toward T helper (Th) 1, whereas aflatoxin B1 alters the cytokines into a Th2 pattern.
Furthermore, more investigation to elucidate the main active molecules and their mechanism necessary to be done.
Keywords: Garlic extract, Inflammation, Cytokines, Immune system