Abstract

Medicinal properties of garlic have been attributed to its organosulfur compounds. Because of conversion of bioactive constituents to other compound during processing, various garlic preparations may have different bioactivities. In this study, we aimed to assess in vivochemoprotective effects against 7,12- dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) induced rat liver damage and in vitro antimicrobial activity of fresh (FGE) and aged garlic (AGE) and garlic tablet extracts (GTE). Fifty mature Sprague-Dawley female rats were divided into five groups as control (n = 10), 7,12-DMBA (n = 10), 7,12-DMBA + FGE (n = 10), 7,12-DMBA + AGE (n = 10) and 7,12-DMBA + GTE (n = 10). The rats in control group were treated with only corn oil, while other rats were treated with 7,12-DMBA 20 mg/kg b.w. i.p. Rats in extract groups received orally extracts of garlic with one day interval during 2 weeks before and after 7,12-DMBA injection. Catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine levels as oxidative stress parameters in liver tissue, and in vitro antimicrobial activites of different garlic extracts were measured and statistical analysis were performed. As a result, all the extracts prevented the changes in the level of oxidative stress parameters significantly, demonstrated protective effect at the histological level, and AGE and FGE, especially, had an antimicrobial effect to a considerable level.

Key words: 7,12-DMBA, cancer, oxidative stress, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine.