Cellular Mechanisms Underlying the Cardioprotective Role of Allicin on Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of diseases in which the common denominator is the affection of blood vessels, heart tissue, and heart rhythm. The genesis of CVD is complex and multifactorial; therefore, approaches are often based on multidisciplinary management and more than one drug is used to achieve the optimal control of risk factors (dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypertrophy, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation). In this context, allicin, a sulfur compound naturally derived from garlic, has shown beneficial effects on several cardiovascular risk factors through the modulation of cellular mechanisms and signaling pathways. Effective pharmacological treatments for CVD or its risk factors have not been developed or are unknown in clinical practice. Thus, this work aimed to review the cellular mechanisms through which allicin exerts its therapeutic effects and to show why it could be a therapeutic option for the prevention or treatment of CVD and its risk factors.

Role of Sulfur Compounds in Garlic as Potential Therapeutic Option for Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Asthma

“…A weakness of this review is that we did not focus on evaluating the side effects, toxicity, safety, and effectiveness of these treatments with sulfur compounds so they can be used in clinical research. However, it has been reported that garlic compounds could be a therapy with fewer side effects [ 8 ].…”

“…These sulfides correspond to diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS), methyl allyl disulfide (MADS), methyl allyl sulfide (MAS), ajoene, and vinyl dithiins (2-vinyl-1,3-dithiin, 3-vinyl-1,2-dithiin). The water-soluble garlic compounds are SAC, S-allylmercapto-l-cysteine (SAMC), and S-methyl cysteine [ 8 ].…”

“…The evidence has shown that organosulfur compounds present in garlic have beneficial effects on health by modulating inflammation and oxidative stress, which are common pathogenic mechanisms in pulmonary diseases [ 7 , 8 ]. However, studies that summarize the effects of these garlic compounds on asthma are limited.…”

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of allicin in the kidney of an experimental model of metabolic syndrome

“…In this context, garlic ( Allium sativum ) is a spice rich in sulfur compounds, several of which have shown favorable effects in various diseases, including cardiovascular ( Anaeigoudari, Safari & Khazdair, 2021 ; Sánchez-Gloria et al, 2022 ; Sharma & Rani, 2023 ). Diallyl thiosulfinate (allicin) is a sulfur compound in garlic, which is the main component formed when garlic is macerated or crushed ( Sánchez-Gloria et al, 2022 ).…”

“…In this context, garlic ( Allium sativum ) is a spice rich in sulfur compounds, several of which have shown favorable effects in various diseases, including cardiovascular ( Anaeigoudari, Safari & Khazdair, 2021 ; Sánchez-Gloria et al, 2022 ; Sharma & Rani, 2023 ). Diallyl thiosulfinate (allicin) is a sulfur compound in garlic, which is the main component formed when garlic is macerated or crushed ( Sánchez-Gloria et al, 2022 ). Recently, several studies have shown that allicin has multiple beneficial effects, including antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, cardioprotective, and nephroprotective ( El-Sheakh et al, 2016 ; García-Trejo et al, 2017 ; Liu et al, 2010 ; Arellano-Buendía et al, 2018 , 2020 ; Sánchez-Gloria et al, 2021 , 2022 ).…”