Medicinal and therapeutic properties of garlic, garlic essential oil, and garlic-based snack food: An updated review

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum) is an edible tuber belonging to the family Liliaceae. It has been used since ancient times as a spice to enhance the sensory characteristics of food and as a household remedy for the treatment of a variety of ailments. Garlic has been studied for its medicinal and therapeutic effects in the treatment of various human diseases for a long time. Health benefits associated with the consumption of garlic are attributed to the various sulfur compounds present in it such as allicin, ajoene, vinyl-dithiin, and other volatile organosulfur compounds which are all metabolized from alliin. Several researches in the literature have shown evidence that garlic exhibits antioxidant, antiviral, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, antihypertensive, anti-anemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, anticarcinogenic, antiaggregant, and immunomodulatory properties. The present review identifies and discusses the various health benefits associated with the consumption of garlic, its essential oil, and bioactive constituents, along with exploring the various snack-food products developed by incorporating garlic.

The association between raw garlic consumption and the risk of depressive symptoms: the TCLSIH cohort study

“…The antioxidant activity of garlic protects the body against free radicals. 11 Therefore, it is crucial to explore whether garlic improves depressive symptoms.…”

Gas chromatography-stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry prior solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: development and optimization of analytical methods to analyse garlic (Allium sativum L.) volatile fraction

“…Garlic ( Allium sativum L.) plant belongs to the Liliaceae family, renowned not only for its characteristic aroma but also for the health properties of its bulb according to traditional medicine [ 1 , 2 ] and to several scientific studies [ [3] , [4] , [5] ]. Garlic figures as an herbaceous plant 30–80 cm high, typically propagated vegetatively using the cloves from the previous harvest, as the cultivated varieties lost the ability to reproduce by true seeds [ 6 ].…”

Comparison of Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Effects of Various Forms of Garlic and Ramsons

“…It was also reported to have anti-parasite [ 10 ], anti-fungal [ 11 , 12 ], anti-bacterial [ 13 , 14 ], and anti-viral [ 15 , 16 ] properties. For these reasons, garlic can be categorized as both a food and a medicinal herb [ 17 ]. In particular, the anticancer effects of garlic have been reported by many authors [ 18 ].…”