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Aged Garlic Extract Scavenges Superoxide Radicals

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Abstract

There is increasing evidence to suggest that many degenerative or pathological processes, such as aging, cancer, and coronary heart disease, are related to reactive oxygen species and radical-mediated reactions. We examined the effectiveness of aged garlic extract (AGE), a garlic preparation rich in water-soluble cysteinyl moieties, and its component for scavenging of superoxide by using the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase and human neutrophils. In the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system, electron spin resonance showed that aged garlic extract scavenged superoxide radicals in a dose-dependent manner up to 54%. The EC50 value of aged garlic extract for the superoxide radical scavenging effect was 0.80 mg/ml. N-α-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl)-L-arginine (25.9%) and (1S, 3S)-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (20.8%), water-soluble moieties of AGE, also exerted superoxide scavenging effects. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-activated human neutrophils produced superoxide radical of 56.6 ± 9.27 nmol/min/107 cells. Aged garlic extract (3 mg/ml) significantly inhibited superoxide production in comparison to the control. These data suggest that aged garlic extract may be useful for preventing diseases associated with reactive oxygen species.

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Abbreviations

AGE:

aged garlic extract

DEPMPO:

5-diethoxyphosphoryl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide

DTPA:

diethylenetriamine-N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentaacetic acid

ESR:

electron spin resonance

Fru-Arg:

N-α-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl)-L-arginine

GSAC:

γ-glutamyl-S-allyl-L-cysteine

HPX:

hypoxanthine

MTCC:

1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid

PMA:

phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SAC:

S-allyl-L-cysteine

SMC:

S-methyl-L-cysteine

XOD:

xanthine oxidase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Healthcare Research Institute, Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1624 Shimokotachi, Kodacho, Akitakata, Hiroshima, 739-1195, Japan

    Naoaki Morihara & Minoru Hayama

  2. School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan

    Hirotada Fujii

Authors
  1. Naoaki Morihara
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  2. Minoru Hayama
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  3. Hirotada Fujii
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Correspondence to Naoaki Morihara.

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Morihara, N., Hayama, M. & Fujii, H. Aged Garlic Extract Scavenges Superoxide Radicals. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 66, 17–21 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-011-0216-6

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