Chemical Analysis of Garlic
Chemistry of Garlic - Key Compounds in Garlic
Although garlic has been traditionally used for over 5,000 years, most scientific significance has just been developed in the past 50 years. The key compounds in garlic and its preparations include the following phytochemicals.
Sulfur-containing compounds
Recently, researchers have been focusing on the benefits of a variety of sulfur-containing compounds in garlic instead of allicin. These are classified as oil- and water-soluble compounds. Oil-soluble compounds include sulfides, such as diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS), diallyl trisulfide and allyl methyl trisulfide, dithiins, and ajoene. Water-soluble compounds include cysteine derivatives, such as S-allyl cysteine (SAC), S-allyl mercaptocysteine (SAMC) and S-methyl cysteine, and gamma-glutamyl cysteine derivatives. Oil-soluble sulfur compounds are odorous, whereas water-soluble compounds are odorless. Moreover, water-soluble compounds are more stable and safer than oil-soluble compounds (1).
Non-sulfur compounds
Garlic was also found to contain unique non-sulfur compounds, such as allixin and saponins and recent studies have revealed the important contribution of these compounds to garlic’s health benefits.
GARLIC
Contains 0.1–0.36% (usually ca. 0.2%) volatile oil, alliin (S-allyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide), S-methyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide, enzymes (e.g., alliinase, peroxidase, and myrosinase), ajoenes (E,Z-ajoene, E,Z-methylajoene, and dimethylajoene), protein (16.8%, dry weight basis), minerals, vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, etc.), lipids, amino acids, and others.
The volatile oil contains allicin (diallyldisulfide-S-oxide; diallyl thiosulfinate), allylpropyl disulfide, diallyl disulfide, and diallyl trisulfide as the major components, with lesser amounts of dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide; dimethyl trisulfide, allylmethyl sulfide, 2,3,4-trithiapentane, bis-2-propenyl tri-, tetra-, and pentasulfides, and other related
Although garlic has been traditionally used for over 5,000 years, most scientific significance has just been developed in the past 50 years. The key compounds in garlic and its preparations include the following phytochemicals.
Sulfur-containing compounds
Recently, researchers have been focusing on the benefits of a variety of sulfur-containing compounds in garlic instead of allicin. These are classified as oil- and water-soluble compounds. Oil-soluble compounds include sulfides, such as diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS), diallyl trisulfide and allyl methyl trisulfide, dithiins, and ajoene. Water-soluble compounds include cysteine derivatives, such as S-allyl cysteine (SAC), S-allyl mercaptocysteine (SAMC) and S-methyl cysteine, and gamma-glutamyl cysteine derivatives. Oil-soluble sulfur compounds are odorous, whereas water-soluble compounds are odorless. Moreover, water-soluble compounds are more stable and safer than oil-soluble compounds (1).
Non-sulfur compounds
Garlic was also found to contain unique non-sulfur compounds, such as allixin and saponins and recent studies have revealed the important contribution of these compounds to garlic’s health benefits.
GARLIC
Contains 0.1–0.36% (usually ca. 0.2%) volatile oil, alliin (S-allyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide), S-methyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide, enzymes (e.g., alliinase, peroxidase, and myrosinase), ajoenes (E,Z-ajoene, E,Z-methylajoene, and dimethylajoene), protein (16.8%, dry weight basis), minerals, vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, etc.), lipids, amino acids, and others.
The volatile oil contains allicin (diallyldisulfide-S-oxide; diallyl thiosulfinate), allylpropyl disulfide, diallyl disulfide, and diallyl trisulfide as the major components, with lesser amounts of dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide; dimethyl trisulfide, allylmethyl sulfide, 2,3,4-trithiapentane, bis-2-propenyl tri-, tetra-, and pentasulfides, and other related