BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF ALLIUM SATIVUM

Abstract

Allium sativum (Garlic) is a cultivated vegetable. Al-Rawi and Chakravarty (1) indicated the therapeutic use of the bulb and juice of this plant. Actually the bulb is used in various forms of ulcers and regulation of the menstrual cycle. The juice is also used as a rubefacient in skin diseases and external ottitis and as a lotion for washing the wounds and ulcers. In addition to the wind-breaking and helminthic effect, the juice showed an improvement of the urinary secretion and sweating and an antipyretic effect in the patient with an intermittent fever. Thus, the main therapeutic indications of the juice as a syrup are diaphoretic, diuretic and expectorant effects. Inspite of the wide therapeutic availability, the biological activity of this plant is little known. Therefore, in the present experiments the effects of water and alcohol extracts of Allium sativum on the various organ functions were observed.