Allicin in Digestive System Cancer: From Biological Effects to Clinical Treatment

Abstract

Allicin is the main active ingredient in freshly-crushed garlic and some other allium plants, and its anticancer effect on cancers of digestive system has been confirmed in many studies. The aim of this review is to summarize epidemiological studies and in vitro and in vivo investigations on the anticancer effects of allicin and its secondary metabolites, as well as their biological functions. In epidemiological studies of esophageal cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and biliary tract cancer, the anticancer effect of garlic has been confirmed consistently. However, the results obtained from epidemiological studies in gastric cancer and colon cancer are inconsistent. In vitro studies demonstrated that allicin and its secondary metabolites play an antitumor role by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, controlling tumor invasion and metastasis, decreasing angiogenesis, suppressing Helicobacter pylori, enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs, and reducing the damage caused by chemotherapeutic drugs. In vivo studies further demonstrate that allicin and its secondary metabolites inhibit cancers of the digestive system. This review describes the mechanisms against cancers of digestive system and therapeutic potential of allicin and its secondary metabolites.

In Vitro Antitumor and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Allium-Derived Compounds Propyl Propane Thiosulfonate (PTSO) and Propyl Propane Thiosulfinate (PTS)

“…Treatment with the extracts or compounds derived from Allium has been the subject of numerous studies and trials to establish a link with a reduced risk of cancer. In this sense, our findings are in concordance with other assays previously published [ 39 , 40 , 41 ]. In fact, several in vitro and in vivo studies have shown the potential antiproliferative activity of the extracts or compounds derived from Allium in the same cell lines we have tested.…”

Allicin modulates the intestinal microbiota to attenuate blood glucose and systemic inflammation in type 2 diabetic rats

“…As one of the most widely grown ingredients in the world, allicin has good bioavailability and bioequivalence (Lawson and Hunsaker, 2018), which makes it easy for people to obtain allicin compared with other probiotics with strict requirements. In fact, allicin is widely used in the clinic for cancer, cardiovascular disease, cold, hypertension, etc (Majewski, 2014;Sarvizadeh et al, 2021;Zhou et al, 2022). This article established the relationship between allicin and the improvement of diabetes through the intestinal flora and provided a new idea for human beings to use allicin and improve diabetes.…”

Garlic‐derived compounds: Epigenetic modulators and their antitumor effects

“…The main antitumor bioactive substances in garlic, such as Allicin, DAS, DADS, DATS, SAC, and so on, can inhibit the occurrence and development of tumors in the early and late stages of carcinogenesis. Other sulfides, such as SAC, SAMC, Ajoene, and S-methyl-cysteine sulfoxide, combine with DADS and DATS to inhibit tumor cell proliferation by inducing human cell apoptosis (Zhou et al, 2022). The antitumor effect of organic sulfide in garlic is not limited to specific tissues or carcinogens, mainly dependent on allyl and sulfhydryl, and enhanced with the increase of the number of sulfur atoms (C. Lv et al, 2021).…”

“…Garlic-derived compounds not only directly fight against tumors but also enhance the sensitivity of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and protect normal cells from carcinogens. Garlic-derived compounds exhibit significant antitumor effects through several mechanisms (Zhou et al, 2022). Firstly, garlic-derived compounds regulate signal pathways by inducing changes in gene expression levels, such as JNK, ENT-related, STAT3, ERK1/2 pathways, and so on.…”