International Journal of
Medicine and Medical Sciences

  • Abbreviation: Int. J. Med. Med. Sci.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2006-9723
  • DOI: 10.5897/IJMMS
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 535

Medicinal values of garlic: A review

Gebreselema Gebreyohannes
  • Gebreselema Gebreyohannes
  • Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Computational Sciences, University of Gondar, Ethiopia.
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Mebrahtu Gebreyohannes
  • Mebrahtu Gebreyohannes
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
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  •  Accepted: 12 August 2013
  •  Published: 01 September 2013

Abstract

 

Garlic products are used as sources of medicine in many ways in human beings in their day today life. As a result, researchers from various disciplines are now directing their efforts towards discovering the medicinal values of garlic on human health. The main interest of researchers in the medicinal values of garlic is its broad-spectrum therapeutic effect with minimal toxicity. Garlic extract has antimicrobial activity against many genera of bacteria, fungi and viruses. Garlic contains a higher concentration of sulfur compounds which are responsible for its medicinal effects. The chemical constituents of garlic have also been investigated for treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, atherosclerosis and hyperlipidaemia and highly praised by several authors. Therefore, this paper is reviewed to inspire and impress the young researchers about the medicinal values of garlic.

 

Key words: Allium sativum, immunity booster, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer