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Garlic

On the Origins of Garlic

Egypt and India mention it 5,000 years ago

China had it 2,000 years ago, possibly 4,000 years ago

Babylonia had it 4,500 years ago

But no one knows when garlic was first cultivated . . . .

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History of the Herb

Wherever humans have gone, garlic has followed.

Introduced to the U.S. with the colonists.

Only found wild in Asia; everything else called “wild garlic” isn’t actually garlic, but a relative.

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Cultivated Garlic: The Lowdown

Group: Monocot

 Family: Liliaceae 

Growth Form: Forb/herb  

Duration: Perennial

 U.S. Nativity: Introduced 

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Lowdown continued

Kingdom: Plantae

Sub-kingdom: Tracheobionta

Super-division: Spermatophyta

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Subclass: Liliidae

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Order: Liliales

Family: Liliaceae

Genus: Allium

Species: Sativum L.

Subspecies: var. sativum, var. ophioscorodon

Anatomy of a Condiment90-150 cm tall

“Hardneck” varieties produce small white, pink, or purple flowers; “softneck” do not

Long, thin, keeled, flat leaves

5-8 cm white, pink, or purple bulbs with 8-20 cloves

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So you want to be a garlic farmer?7

Down on the farm . . .

Garlic likes moist, well-drained sandy loam or loam soils with high OM.

Soil pH best at 6-7; lime if pH<5.8.

Garlic needs cold to grow, so plant in the autumn.

Garlic love nutrients: fertilize in the autumn and spring and spring (yet again).

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Still on the farmMild climates are best, but some varieties can tolerate cold. Are you in California or are you in Minnesota?

Cold climes lead to small bulbs, which means inferior garlic or “hot” garlic.

“Hardneck” varieties can flower or create “bulbils” aboveground. Plant them for another year!

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Smallville continued

Garlic is grown in rows from planted cloves.

Only recently have plants been grown to gain seeds; farmers have used bulbs for years!

Plant cloves pointed side up for optimal growth.

Mulch to keep weeds down, irrigate to keep the soil moist.

Harvest by hand.

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In the Barn

Pull out garlic-shoots, bulbs, and all.

Wash bulb carefully in water.

Cure for several weeks: hang in bundles (10-15 plants) for several weeks in well-vented room.

Remove shoots, roots, and outer layer of bulb.

Store according to use.

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The Root CellarPlanting stock:

Store at 60-70% humidity and room temperature.

Kitchen stock:

32-40º F and 60-70% humidity. Room temperature decreases shelf life.

Shelf life: 3-8 months depending on breed.

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Now that you’ve got it . . . .Garlic is eaten raw or cooked.

Also made into pills, powders, extracts, or oils.

Pills are made from powdered garlic: crushed, dried, and chopped up until ground to powder, then stuffed into a capsule for release in the digestive tract.

Powders are used in cooking.

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Garlic, liquified not dry.

Garlic extracts are aged. Garlic is chopped up finely and then left in alcohol for 2 years.

Garlic oils are made 2 ways: a) steaming crushed garlic and collecting the oils that escape, or b) chop/crush garlic and soak in vegetable oil for 24 hours, then remove the garlic fragments.

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Now that you’ve got it, now what?

Adulterants are few; pills may be mixed with other compounds to time the release of the garlic. Oils and extracts use oils and alcohol, respectively.

Taken internally (ingestion).

Distinct aroma is negated by timing of release and breakdown of key chemicals (or by use of a breath mint and a hot shower).

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ConstituentsA large number of sulfur compounds are the most important constituents and contribute to the smell and taste of garlic.

Diallyl sulfide is believed to be an important odor component.

organosulfur compound found in plants of the genus Allium. Principal component of the essential oil of garlic

Alliin- organic compound (amino acid) that is a natural constituent of fresh garlic that not involved in the building of proteins

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Constituents cont...

Allicin (C6H10OS2)- chemical compound not present in garlic in its natural state but a degradation product from the naturally occurring cyctein sulfoxide, alliin.

When garlic is chopped or otherwise damaged, the enzyme allinase acts on the chemical alliin converting it into allicin. Not a very stable compound and degrades slowly up on standing and rapidly destroyed by cooking

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Analytical Methods

Extraction of garlic cloves with ethanol at <0 C produces Alliin

Extraction with ethanol and water @ 25 C produces Allicin only

Steam distillation (100 C) converts the alliin to diallyl sulfides entirely.

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ChromatogramQualitative and quantitative assay for sulfur constituents (e.g. Alliin, Allicin) by means of high performance liquid chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy methods.

All of the compounds identified are breakdown products of the primary flavor compounds

GC and GC-MS used to characterize allium volatiles

However, these chromatographic techniques are valued for study of compounds of moderate thermal stability

Thiosulfinates from allium species known to decompose on heating or attempted GC analysis

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How garlic works:When garlic is crushed, the compound alliin is converted into the compound allicin (gives of characteristic garlic odor).

During digestion allicin is broken down into the compound ajoene.

In the gastrointestinal tract, ajoene enters the blood stream .

Allicin and ajoene are compounds that show the most “healing potential”

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How garlic is “applied”Ingested (natural/pill form):

enters the gastro-intestinal tract

absorbed into blood stream in the stomach or intestines

Topical (natural, poultice)

poultice applied to wound/infected area

not recommended because its been known to cause second degree burns

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Possible Treatment for:Atherosclerosis

Breast Cancer

Bronchitits

Colorectal Cancer

Common Cold

Cough

Diabetes Melitus

Hypercholesterolemia

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Hypertension

Intestinal Parasites

Mayocardial Infarction

Otis Media

Prostate Cancer

Roundworms

Stroke

Tuberculosis

How much garlic to take:For children, medical dosage not established yet.

For adults, recommended medical dosage (ingested):

Raw garlic (whole): 2-4 grams/day fresh(1 clove = approx. 1 gram)

Capsules/tablets: 600-900 mg/day

Infusion: 4 g/150 ml water/day

Fluid extract: 4 ml/day

Oil: 0.03-00.12 ml three times/day

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EfficacyAnti-hypertensive activity (no consistent effect)

Anti-microbial activity (insufficient data)

Anti-neoplastic activity: epidemiological suggestion of positive effect)

Anti-thrombotic activity (modest antiplatelet effect)

Hypoglycemic activity (no effect)

Lipid-lowering activity (modest, positive short-term effect)

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ContraindicationsTo patients with a known allergy to the drug

Consumption of large amounts may increase the risk of post operative bleeding according to a study done in 1995 in Journal of plastic and reconstructive surgery

No objections to use of garlic during pregnancy and lactation

Excretion of components of garlic into breast milk and effect on newborn not yet established

No precautions reported concerning drug and laboratory test interactions, pediatric use or teratogenic or non-teratogenic effects on pregnancy

Overall level of safety to garlic reflected by its world wide use as a seasoning in food

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Adverse EffectsHas been reported to evoke occasional allergic reactions such as

contact dermatitis (chemical burns on skin) and branchial asthmatic attacks after inhalation of the powdered drug.

Ingestion of fresh garlic bulbs, extracts, or oil on empty stomach may cause heartburn, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

When administered orally to laboratory animals garlic caused stomach ulcers, anemia, decrease in serum protein, inhibition of spermatogenesis and decrease in intestinal flora.

Garlic odor from breath and skin may be perceptible

Processing methods greatly affect chemical structure of garlic preparations and adverse effects can be eliminated by proper extraction and preparation method.

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Drug interactionsAvoid concomitant use of Garlic with:

Anticoagulants: avoid concomitant use, garlic may add to the effect of anticoagulants, increasing risk for bleeding complicationAntiplatelet agents and thrombolytic agents: theoretical risk of increased bleeding risk

Serious concerns over surgery or contraindications with anticlotting medications such as Warfarin

Patients on warfarin therapy should be warned that garlic supplements may increase bleeding timesBlood clotting times have been reported to double in patients taking Warfarin and garlic supplements (Pharmaceutical journal, 1991).

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ReferencesAmagase Harunobu. (2006) Clarifying the Real Bioactive constituents of Garlic. American Society for Nutrition 136: 716S-725S

“Fruit and Vegetable Processing.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Agricultural Services Bulletin 119 (1995). http://www.fao.org/docrep/V5030E/V5030E0e.htm#5.5%20Preservation%20with%20sugar

“Garlic” Alternative/Complementary Medicine. University of Maryland Medical Center Medical Reference. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/Garlicch.html#Composition As viewed 2/11/07. Reviewed 4/02

“Garlic.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic. As viewed 2/06/07. Last modified 2/6/07.

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References“Garlic Oils, Pills & Extracts.” Gourmet Garlic Gardens.http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/pill.htm. As viewed 2/06/07. Last updated 1/31/2007.

“Growing Garlic in Minnesota.” as viewed 2/2/2007; copyright 2007. University of Minnesota Extension Service. The College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences. http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC7317.html

PDR for Nonprescription Drugs, Dietary Supplements and Herbs. Thompson PDR 2006, NewJerse

Randle M. William and Bussard L. Mark. (1993) Streamlining Onion Pungency Analysis. Hort. Science 28(1): 60.

Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research. University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division. Herbal Information: Garlic. 2003

ReferencesTattleman Ellen. (2005) Health Effects of Garlic. Am. Fam Physician 72:103-6.

USDA, NRCS, 2006, The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http: plants/usda.gov), Compiled from various sources by Mark W. Skinner. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA

“Vegetable Crops Research Unit: Simon: Garlic Origins.” Last modified 8/4/2004. As viewed 2/6/2007. Agricultural Research Service, USDA. Philipp W. Simon, USDA, ARS, Vegetable Crops Research Unit, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=5232

World Health Organization. (1999) WHO monographs on Selected medicinal plants 16-32.

Created By:

Bemnet Abebe

bgessess@umd.edu

Jessica Boualavong

boualavong@gmail.com

Allen Dawson

ladydarley@gmail.com

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2007