Pharmacotherapeutic Potential of Garlic in Age-Related Neurological Disorders

Abstract

: Age-related neurological disorders [ANDs] involve neurodegenerative diseases [NDDs] such as Alzheimer's disease [AD], the most frequent kind of dementia in elderly people, and Parkinson's disease [PD], and also other disorders like epilepsy and migraine. Although ANDs are multifactorial, Aging is a principal risk factor for them. The common and most main pathologic features among ANDs are inflammation, oxidative stress, and misfolded proteins accumulation. Since failing brains caused by ANDs impose a notable burden on public health and their incidence is increasing, a lot of works has been done to overcome them. Garlic, Allium sativum, has been used for different medical purposes globally and more than thousands of publications have reported its health benefits. Garlic and aged garlic extract are considered potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidants agents and can have remarkable neuroprotective effects. This review is aimed to summarize knowledge on the pharmacotherapeutic potential of garlic and its components in ANDs.

Differential Effects of the Processed and Unprocessed Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Ethanol Extracts on Neuritogenesis and Synaptogenesis in Rat Primary Hippocampal Neurons

“…In addition to linalool, garlic extract also contains other phytochemicals, such as dodecanoic acid (lauric acid) that may also contribute to the neurotrophic activity, as lauric acid can protect neurons from oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines, and improve behavioral impairments in HPD (haloperidol-induced PD) rats [35]. Moreover, garlic and its bioactive metabolites are well-known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities that further contribute to neuronal survival in adverse conditions [19,36]. The current findings along with the previous evidence suggest that both BGE and WGE could be a potential source of neurotrophic factor mimetics that can modulate molecular pathways associated with growth and maturation of neurons and functional connectivity.…”

“…Recent studies have shed light on the neuroprotective effects of allicin and S-allyl-cysteines (SAC), making it an intriguing potential treatment option for AD [16][17][18]. The positive effects of aged garlic extract and its components on memory and neuroprotection in neurodegeneration have also been reported in numerous studies dating back to the 1990s [19][20][21]. However, there have been no reports on the effects of processed and unprocessed garlic (A. sativum) on neuritogenesis and synaptogenesis.…”

Functional Foods: Garlic

“…Showed that as a functional food, garlic extract and its bioactive compounds have a wide range of biological activities and pharmacological properties that show better efficacy and protection in preventing different types of diseases (e.g. migraine) (51,52).In summary, garlic extract may positively affects cancer, atherosclerosis, hypertension and diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, which are very common diseases today, and may help to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke (53)(54)(55).…”

Therapeutic Potential of Allicin and Aged Garlic Extract in Alzheimer’s Disease

“…There is a large body of evidence dating back to the 1990s that reports on the favorable benefits of AGE on memory and neuroprotection (Figure 5) [25,[100][101][102]. In particular, in spontaneous senescent mice, the impairment of learning and memory, as well as brain atrophy, was reduced by AGE [103,104] (Table 2).…”