459
acids, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides in rats fed with diet rich in cholesterol
(Abramovitz et al. 1999; Ali et al. 2000). Allicin in garlic and onion was found to
inhibit hypertension by eliciting NO-dependent relaxation in pulmonary arteries in
rats (Ku et al. 2002; Schwartz et al. 2002; Sakai et al. 2003). Synthetic allicin
administered intra-arterially also resulted in mesenteric arterial vasodilation in cats
(Mayeux et al. 1988). Several studies also noted the ability of allicin to lower blood
pressure in various models (Warshafsky et al. 1993; Eilat et al. 1995; Banerjee and
Maulik 2002; Elkayam 2003). Meanwhile, blood pressure-lowering activity of garlic was also attributed to the vasodilation as a result of the liberation of H 2 S from
alliin (Benavides et al. 2007).
Allicin was also found to play an important role in the anti-atherosclerotic activity of garlic (Jain and Konar 1978). This compound affects atherosclerosis by serving in many mechanisms like in the modification of lipoproteins, and inhibition of
uptake in LDL, and degradation of macrophages, and as an antioxidant agent
(Gonen et al. 2005). Moreover, this compound was also found to possess antihyperlipidemic and hypoglycemic activities (Mathew and Augusti 1973; Sela et al.
2004). SAC was also found to improve glucose homeostasis and sensitivity of insulin (Zhai et al. 2018).
21.4.8 Anti-Diabetic Properties
OSCs including allicin, cysteine, methionine, dibenzothiophene, lipoic acid and
sulfur mustard have exhibited enhanced anti-diabetic effects in both in vitro and in
vivo models. Various volatile OSCs from garlic extracts were attributed to the reduction of insulin resistance (Padiya and Banerjee 2013). These are ajoene, allyl mercaptan, allicin, alliin, DAS, DADS, DATS, and SAC. Alliin was noted to contribute
to the hypoglycemic activity although no clear mechanism was suggested (Nasim
et al. 2011; Zhai et al. 2018).
Allicin has been reported to be the significant compound that is responsible for
the anti-diabetic property of garlic species (Salehi et al. 2019). The first anti- diabetic
efficacy of allicin was reported by using diabetic rabbits as in vivo animal model.
The compound ameliorated fasting blood glucose in a dose-dependent fashion and
the results revealed that allicin possesses better anti-diabetic efficiency than conventional anti-diabetic drug named tolbutamide (Augusti 1975). Further, the compound
was also reported to attenuate diabetes-induced cardiovascular disorders (Huang
et al. 2013; Yang Liu et al. 2012) as well as amelioration of type 1 diabetes in a rat
model by stimulating insulin secretion (Osman et al. 2012). A recent study also
showed allicin attenuated kidney damage in diabetic nephropathy-induced rats
(Huang et al. 2017). Also, it was reported that allicin can be conjugated with captopril to form S-allyl-mercapto-captopril (CPSSA). This complex allicin compound
exhibited potential to prevent body weight gain, ameliorated blood pressure and
reduced blood glucose concentrations in Cohen-Rosenthal Diabetic Hypertensive
(CRDH) animal models.
21 Health Benefits of Organosulfur Compounds
acids, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides in rats fed with diet rich in cholesterol
(Abramovitz et al. 1999; Ali et al. 2000). Allicin in garlic and onion was found to
inhibit hypertension by eliciting NO-dependent relaxation in pulmonary arteries in
rats (Ku et al. 2002; Schwartz et al. 2002; Sakai et al. 2003). Synthetic allicin
administered intra-arterially also resulted in mesenteric arterial vasodilation in cats
(Mayeux et al. 1988). Several studies also noted the ability of allicin to lower blood
pressure in various models (Warshafsky et al. 1993; Eilat et al. 1995; Banerjee and
Maulik 2002; Elkayam 2003). Meanwhile, blood pressure-lowering activity of garlic was also attributed to the vasodilation as a result of the liberation of H 2 S from
alliin (Benavides et al. 2007).
Allicin was also found to play an important role in the anti-atherosclerotic activity of garlic (Jain and Konar 1978). This compound affects atherosclerosis by serving in many mechanisms like in the modification of lipoproteins, and inhibition of
uptake in LDL, and degradation of macrophages, and as an antioxidant agent
(Gonen et al. 2005). Moreover, this compound was also found to possess antihyperlipidemic and hypoglycemic activities (Mathew and Augusti 1973; Sela et al.
2004). SAC was also found to improve glucose homeostasis and sensitivity of insulin (Zhai et al. 2018).
21.4.8 Anti-Diabetic Properties
OSCs including allicin, cysteine, methionine, dibenzothiophene, lipoic acid and
sulfur mustard have exhibited enhanced anti-diabetic effects in both in vitro and in
vivo models. Various volatile OSCs from garlic extracts were attributed to the reduction of insulin resistance (Padiya and Banerjee 2013). These are ajoene, allyl mercaptan, allicin, alliin, DAS, DADS, DATS, and SAC. Alliin was noted to contribute
to the hypoglycemic activity although no clear mechanism was suggested (Nasim
et al. 2011; Zhai et al. 2018).
Allicin has been reported to be the significant compound that is responsible for
the anti-diabetic property of garlic species (Salehi et al. 2019). The first anti- diabetic
efficacy of allicin was reported by using diabetic rabbits as in vivo animal model.
The compound ameliorated fasting blood glucose in a dose-dependent fashion and
the results revealed that allicin possesses better anti-diabetic efficiency than conventional anti-diabetic drug named tolbutamide (Augusti 1975). Further, the compound
was also reported to attenuate diabetes-induced cardiovascular disorders (Huang
et al. 2013; Yang Liu et al. 2012) as well as amelioration of type 1 diabetes in a rat
model by stimulating insulin secretion (Osman et al. 2012). A recent study also
showed allicin attenuated kidney damage in diabetic nephropathy-induced rats
(Huang et al. 2017). Also, it was reported that allicin can be conjugated with captopril to form S-allyl-mercapto-captopril (CPSSA). This complex allicin compound
exhibited potential to prevent body weight gain, ameliorated blood pressure and
reduced blood glucose concentrations in Cohen-Rosenthal Diabetic Hypertensive
(CRDH) animal models.
21 Health Benefits of Organosulfur Compounds