A Rethinking on the Benefits and Drawbacks of Common Antioxidants and a Proposal to Look for the Antioxidants in Allium Products as Ideal Agents: A Review

Abstract

This review article on the beneficial uses of Allium antioxidants tries to give some answers to the recent doubts raised by Singh et al. (Ind J Clin Biochem 25(3):225-243, 2010) against the claim of some researchers that Antioxidants (AOs) are miraculous molecules. Many people still believe that vitamins like A, C and E are the only true AOs that play important role in the corrections of metabolic derangements in life style diseases and hence all their faults are attributed to the failures of AOs as a class. This is quite unfair as there are many other natural AOs that do equal or even better AO action than the vitamins. Such is the case with the Allium S-alkyl sulfoxide aminoacids and their breakdown products viz, the various poly sulfides and their oxides e.g. allicin and ajoene type compounds which trap electrons mainly. It is true that antioxidant vitamins and b-carotene a precursor of Vitamin A bring about problems as prooxidant or as agents that block some metabolic pathways and gene expression. Again the argument that AOs cannot improve the level of antioxidant enzymes like SOD, catalase and glutathione Px is also not universal. Actually allium AOs can even spare the use of antioxidant vitamins in the body and enhance the action of antioxidant enzymes and supply of ATP and other nutrients to the tissues as the former are good vasodialators and promoters of membrane permeability. The use of AOs should be selective and moderate.

Immunomodulation and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Garlic Compounds

“…Garlic compounds can be divided in several groups or families of compounds. Among these families, we find γ -glutamyl cysteine derivatives, the primary precursor components of the alliin and allyl methyl cysteine (methiin) compound families [ 6 , 41 ], that produce, by enzymatic action of alliinase (alliin lyase, EC: 4.4.1.4), the diallyl thiosulfinate (Allicin) and allyl methyl thiosulfinate (AM) compound families [ 41 , 42 ], which are precursors of several organosulfur compound families (i.e., the ajoene and dithiin families) [ 8 ]. Additionally, garlic preparations contain nonorgan sulfured compounds, such as tetrahydro-beta-carbolines [ 43 , 44 ], fructans, and glucose-linked β -D-fructofuranosyl [ 45 ], identified in AGE preparations [ 25 ].…”

Markers and Biomarkers of Endothelium: When Something Is Rotten in the State

“…For example, many natural products are agonists of PPARγ and/or PGC-1α, and the bioactivity pattern of the active compounds and plant extracts warrants future research regarding their therapeutic potential and the possibility to modulate PPARγ/PGC-1α activation by dietary interventions or food supplements [258]. Some researchers consider OSC as ideal nutraceutical agents as they can serve not only as direct antioxidants trapping electrons, but also have nonantioxidant effects such as antiplatelet, fibrinolytic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiageing actions, and so forth [259].…”

Anti-hypertensive Herbs and their Mechanisms of Action: Part I

“…Many hypertensive patients use garlic to lower their blood pressure (Qidwai and Ashfaq, 2013 ). The reported effects vary from significant reduction in mean arterial pressure, drop in either SBP or DBP only, to no alteration in blood pressure at all (Banerjee et al, 2002 ; Mousa and Mousa, 2007 ; Frishman et al, 2009 ; Yang et al, 2011 ; Augusti et al, 2012 ). However, most studies confirm the induction of hypotensive effects by garlic and its constituents.…”