Allicin as a Potential Inducer of Apoptosis in Cancer Cells

Garlic extracts have been found to restrict active propagation of cells during the episodes of skin, breast, uterine, cervix and colon cancer. It has anti-bacterial, anti-viral & anti-parasitic effects and is known to reduce platelet aggregation and induce apoptosis in tumor cells of different tissue origin due to the presence of many organo-suphur compounds. It is presumed that apoptosis brings about cell-shrinkage, chromatin condensation and stimulation of specific cysteine proteases known as caspases. Studies are underway to understand the mechanism that induces anti-proliferation and apoptosis in tumor cells