Composition and antimicrobial properties of sulphur-containing constituents of Garlic (Allium Sativum)

Active components of commercially available garlic preparations include; allicin, ajoene, allyl alcohol, diallyl disulphide and higher polysulphides. However as a natural mixture the antimicrobial effects may be synergistic and the most effective treatments obtained from fresh garlic extracts. Here, we summarise recent advances in the molecular mechanisms of action of these compounds and suggest future developments whereby chemical modification might be effective at improving the natural properties. Despite more than 6000 years of use, garlic appears not to have induced microbial resistance, a factor which is attributed both to its chemical complexity and to dynamics of degradation of the primary active component allicin