Garlic is an ancient bulbous aromatic herb which is cultivated as a herbaceous annual spice in India and several other countries around the world. Besides its use in culinary, Garlic is one of the oldest authenticated herbs which has been still in use in Indian and other traditional medicinal systems. Garlic’s medicinal efficacy has been studied in experimental studies also and it is now known that Allicin [S-(2-propenyl)-2-propene-1-sulfinothioate] is the biologically active sulfur-containing compound of garlic which contributes to its smell and taste also. Botanically, it belongs to Allium genera and Allium sativum L. (Garlic) is the second most used species after Allium cepa L. (onion) in this genus.
Botanical Classification of Allium sativum L. (Garlic)
- Kingdom: Plantae (Plants or flora)
- Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular plants, the plants with Xylem and Phloem tissues)
- Superdivision: Spermatophyta (Seed generating plants)
- Division: Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants or angiosperms)
- Class: Liliopsida (Monocotyledons or Monocots)
- Order: Liliales
- Family: Amaryllidaceae or Liliaceae (Lily family)
- Genus: Allium L
- Species: Allium sativum L. (cultivated garlic)
*Medicinal Activities of Garlic
There are several publications which have reported various medicinal activities of garlic, and Batiha et al. reviewed several of these activities in journal Nutrients. 2020 Mar; 12(3): 872.
- Antibacterial Activity
- Antifungal Activity
- Anti-Protozoal Activity
- Antiviral Activity
- Antioxidant Activity
- Anti-Inflammatory Activity
- Anticancer Activity
- Anti-Alzheimer’s Disease Activity
- Anti-Hypertensive
- Anti-Diabetic
- Anti- Obesity
Scientific References:
- Adaki S, Adaki R, Shah K, Karagir A. Garlic: Review of literature. Indian J Cancer. 2014 Oct-Dec;51(4):577-81. doi: 10.4103/0019-509X.175383. [PMID: 26842201]
- El-Saber Batiha G, Magdy Beshbishy A, et al. Bioactive Compounds and Biological Functions of Garlic (Allium sativum L.). Nutrients. 2020 Mar 24;12(3):872. doi: 10.3390/nu12030872. [PMID: 32213941]
- Shang A, Cao SY, Xu XY, et al. Bioactive Compounds and Biological Functions of Garlic (Allium sativum L.). Foods. 2019 Jul 5;8(7):246. doi: 10.3390/foods8070246. [PMID: 31284512]
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