Allicin: Chemistry and Biological Properties

Molecules

Jan Borlinghaus¹  Frank Albrecht¹  Martin C. H. Gruhlke¹  Ifeanyi D. Nwachukwu² 

[1]Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany

[2]Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T2N2, Canada

关键词: garlic (Allium sativum);    reactive sulfur species;    apoptosis;    redox;    antimicrobial;    cancer;    root growth;   

DOI  :  10.3390/molecules190812591

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Allicin (diallylthiosulfinate) is a defence molecule from garlic (Allium sativum L.) with a broad range of biological activities. Allicin is produced upon tissue damage from the non-proteinogenic amino acid alliin (S-allylcysteine sulfoxide) in a reaction that is catalyzed by the enzyme alliinase. Current understanding of the allicin biosynthetic pathway will be presented in this review. Being a thiosulfinate, allicin is a reactive sulfur species (RSS) and undergoes a redox-reaction with thiol groups in glutathione and proteins that is thought to be essential for its biological activity. Allicin is physiologically active in microbial, plant and mammalian cells. In a dose-dependent manner allicin can inhibit the proliferation of both bacteria and fungi or kill cells outright, including antibiotic-resistant strains like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Furthermore, in mammalian cell lines, including cancer cells, allicin induces cell-death and inhibits cell proliferation. In plants allicin inhibits seed germination and attenuates root-development. The majority of allicin’s effects are believed to be mediated via redox-dependent mechanisms. In sub-lethal concentrations, allicin has a variety of health-promoting properties, for example cholesterol- and blood pressure-lowering effects that are advantageous for the cardio-vascular system. Clearly, allicin has wide-ranging and interesting applications in medicine and (green) agriculture, hence the detailed discussion of its enormous potential in this review. Taken together, allicin is a fascinating biologically active compound whose properties are a direct consequence of the molecule’s chemistry.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.