Physical, chemical, and biological properties of S-allylcysteine (SAC) were investigated. SAC showed stable properties under tested conditions, and its acute/subacute toxicity was very minor in mice and rats (LD(50) value >54.7 mM/kg po; >20 mM/kg ip). The pharmacokinetics of SAC was investigated after oral administration of garlic supplement containing SAC to human volunteers. SAC from garlic consumption was rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, however, the half-life and excretion time were more than 10 h and 30 h, respectively.

The effects of peroral administration of raw garlic juice and extracted-aged garlic juice (garlic extract) were studied with female Wistar strain rats. For the examination, 5, 5 and 10 rats were sacrificed after 3, 8 and 21 days respectively. In the group to which raw garlic juice (5 ml/kg) was administered 5 rats died of the serious stomach injury in 21 days and body weight of still living rats was down at the beginning as food and water intake were decreased. The growth of rats to which raw garlic juice administered group was retarded. The retardation of growth was thought to be caused by the stomach injury due to raw garlic, which limited in fundus. The injured section of stomach was not far gone by the longer administration, however, the mucous secretion of the surface and neck area were stimulated. Swelling of the liver, hypertrophy of the spleen and adrenal glands, and the decrease of erythrocytes with various morphological changes were clearly observed after 3 and 8 days on the group dosed high raw garlic juice, but almost these changes were not observed at any time on extracted-aged garlic juice administration.

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The acute toxicity toxicity test of garlic extract was studied in Wistar rats and ddY mice. The LD50 values of garlic extract by P.O., I.P. and S.C. administration were estimated over 30 ml/kg respectively in male and female of both rodents. In 30 ml/kg of I.P. group, five of ten in male rats and one of ten in female rats were died within a day after administration, however no specific signs due to garlic extract were observed in survivals for 7 days.