• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2007

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) contains a specific sulfur compound, the S-allyl derivative of L-cysteine sulfoxide, and has long been known for its antimicrobial activity against various microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. The principal antimicrobial compound of garlic is S-allyl-L-propenethiosulfinate (allicin) which is generated by an enzyme, alliinase (L-cysteine sulfoxide lyase), from S-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (alliin). This compound exists exclusively in Allium as a major non-protein sulfur-containing amino acid. S-Allyl-L-propenethiosulfinate belongs to the chemical group of thiosulfinates and is a highly potent antimicrobial. The potency of garlic extract is reduced during storage since thiosulfinates are unstable and are degraded to other compounds some of which do not have antimicrobial activity. Diallyl polysulfides and ajoene are sulfur compounds derived from allicin that do possess antimicrobial activity. It was recently found that garlic becomes antimicrobial on heating at cooking temperatures, and that the compound responsible for this is allyl alcohol, which is generated from alliin by thermal degradation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.349-356
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• 2023

Gout, a chronic inflammatory arthritic disease, is characterized by hyperuricemia. Gout can be induced by an inflammatory response to monosodium urate (MSU) crystals mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokine release following activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. Many sulfur-containing phytochemical compounds in garlic (Allium sativum L.) are considered active ingredients because of their potential pharmacological benefits for various diseases, but their efficacy in NLRP3 inflammasome activation-mediated gout has not been demonstrated. In this study, we investigated whether diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide (DATS), representative garlic-derived sulfur compounds, have an inhibitory effect on MSU-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Our results showed that under non-cytotoxic conditions, DADS and DATS significantly blocked nitric oxide production and interleukin (IL)-1β release in response to MSU in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-primed RAW 264.7 macrophages. DADS and DATS also attenuated enhanced expression of NLRP3 and its adapter protein, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein, which was associated with downregulation of and caspase-1 p20 and IL-1β expression, suggesting that MSU-induced LRP3 inflammasome activation was counteracted by DADS and DATS. Furthermore, DADS and DATS blocked oxidative stress, an upstream event for NLRP3 inflammasome activation, as evidenced by the fact that they scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that DADS and DATS suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation by inhibiting the ROS/NLRP3 pathway and that they have potential as treatments for NLRP3-dependent gouty arthritis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.116-122
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• 2012

Volatile flavor compounds derived from four black garlic extracts purchased in a local market were analyzed for the purpose of quality assessment. A total of 68 compounds was detected in samples using solid phase microextraction (SPME)/GC/MSD, and they were mainly sulfur-containing compounds, including three unknown compounds (21), aldehydes (10), furans (7), alcohols (6), aromatic compounds (7), ketones (4), acids (4), nitrogen-containing compounds (3), esters (2), and miscellaneous compounds (4). 2,6-Dimethyl-4-heptanone having a fruity-sweet odor was the most abundant in all of the samples. Six sulfur-containing compounds including allyl sulfide, 4-methyl-1,2,4-thiazole, 1,3,5-trithiane, unknown I (RI 1564), unknown II (RI 1565), and unknown III (RI 1613) were detected in all of the samples and appeared to contribute to the garlic-like odor. Particularly, three aldehydes (3-methylbutanal, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde), four furans (furfural, 2-acetylfuran, 5-methyl-2-furfural, furfural alcohol), and others (2,6-dimethylpyrazine, acetic acid) formed through a Maillard reaction during garlic aging were detected in all of the samples, and they contributed to the characteristic burnt, sweet, and sour flavors of black garlic extracts.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.113-118
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• 2010

The study was conducted to identify volatile flavor compounds in concentrated onion extracts ($Oniwell^{TM}$) during storage at $30^{\circ}C$ for 150 days. A total of 23 compounds was detected in samples by solid phase microextraction (SPME)/GC/MSD, consisting mainly of 9 sulfur-containing compounds, 5 carbonyl compounds, 4 furans, 2 aromatic compounds and 3 miscellaneous compounds. The sulfur-containing compounds were major compounds with ranges of 75.8~67.3% of total volatiles. In particular, dimethyl trisulfide, with a cooked cabbage-like odor, was 50.1~42.1% of the total amount of sulfur-containing compounds. Two compounds, dimethyl disulfide (fresh garlic/green onion-like) and methylpropyl disulfide (garlic salt-like), were significantly increased with longer storage periods (p<0.05). Four furans (furfural, 2-acetylfurn, 5-methyl-2-furfural, furfurylalcohol), known as thermally generated flavors, ranged from 14.2~12.9% of total volatiles, and the amounts of 4 aldehydes (2-, 3-methylbutanal, benzaldehyde, phenylactaldehyde) derived from lipid oxidation during heat treatment were followed in that order. Accordingly, it was estimated that these 3 groups including sulfur-containing compounds, furans and aldehydes played key roles in flavors in concentrated onion extracts ($Oniwell^{TM}$) during storage.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.929-937
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• 2009

We identified volatile organic compounds in Korean Allium species. Volatile organic components in three Korean Allium species, dried garlic, dried onion, and dried Welsh onion, were extracted using a simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE) method and identified by GC/MS analysis. The numbers of volatile compounds were 48, 32, and 33 in the three species, respectively. In dried onion, the major compounds were dipropyl trisulfide, methyl propyl trisulfide, and propanethiol. (Z), (E)-propenyl propyl trisulfide, methyl propyl trisulfide, and dipropyl trisulfide were detected at high levels in Welsh onion. In dried garlic, presence of the allyl group identified characteristic volatile organosulfur compounds including diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of volatile compounds in three Korean Allium species showed that sulfur-containing compounds were dominant, and allyl groups derived from (+)-S-(2-propenyl)-L-cysteine sulfoxide (ALLYL CSO, alliin) were more abundant in dried garlic, than in other materials.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 2010

Previous studies report that organo-sulfur compounds derived from garlic inhibited smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation and induced apoptosis of cancer cells. Recently, lipid-soluble compounds such as diallyl sulfides (DAS) and diallyl disulfides (DADS) have been reported to more effectively suppress tumor cell proliferation. However, there were few studies on the suppressive effects of lipid-soluble garlic sulfur compounds on the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Therefore, this study investigated the effect of DAS and DADS on VSMC proliferation/migration induced by oleic acid (OA), a principal fatty acid in circulating triglyceride of blood stream. Assays performed include a tetrazole (MTT) assay, a wound healing assay and a Western blots. VSMC proliferations were enhanced by OA in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations of $10{\sim}50\;{\mu}M$ and inhibited by DAS and DADS compared to non-treated control. OA-induced proliferations were also attenuated by DAS and DADS. OA-induced cell migrations were 2.5 times higher than non-treated control, and they were significantly attenuated by DAS (32% at $150\;{\mu}M$ and 50% at $200\;{\mu}M$) and DADS (40% at $150\;{\mu}M$ and 46% at $200\;{\mu}M$). OA-induced cell migration was also attenuated by PD98059 (ERK inhibitor), SB203580 (P38 inhibitor) and particularly by LY204002 (PI3K inhibitor) and SP600125 (JNK2 inhibitor). Additionally, Western blot assays showed that OA-induced JNK1/2-phosphorylation was down-regulated after treatment with DAS and DADS. In conclusion, the findings of our study support the idea that DAS and DADS may have a suppressive effect on the proliferation and migration of OA-induced VSMC and that this effect may be partly associated with PI3K and JNK2 pathways.