The Immunomodulation and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Garlic Organosulfur Compounds in Cancer Chemoprevention

Overview

Journal Anticancer Agents Med Chem

Publisher Bentham Science Publishers

Specialties Chemistry
Oncology

Date 2013 Nov 19

PMID 24237225

Citations 53

Authors

Georgia Schafer

Catherine H Kaschula

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used for centuries as a prophylactic and therapeutic medicinal agent. Importantly, garlic has been suggested to have both cancer-preventive potential as well as significant enhancing effects on the immune system. While these observations are supported experimentally both in vitro and in vivo, the impact of garlic in assisting the immune system in the prevention of cancer still lacks experimental confirmation. Studies addressing the immunomodulatory effects of garlic reveal conflicting data as to pro- or anti-inflammatory responses depending on the particular experimental set-ups and the garlic preparation used (i.e. garlic extract versus chemically pure garlic compounds). Here we provide an overview of the chemistry of the major garlic organosulfur compounds, summarize the current understanding and propose a link between the immunomodulating activity of garlic and the prevention of cancer. We hypothesize that garlic rather elicits anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative responses that aid in priming the organism towards eradication of an emerging tumor.

Citing Articles

Garlic peel extract as an antioxidant inhibits triple-negative breast tumor growth and angiogenesis by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 expression.

Dong Y, Zhang J, Xie A, Yue X, Li M, Zhou Q Food Sci Nutr. 2024; 12(9):6886-6895.

PMID: 39554336 PMC: 11561839. DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.4320.

Therapeutic effect of targeted antioxidant natural products.

Mukherjee S, Chopra H, Goyal R, Jin S, Dong Z, Das T Discov Nano. 2024; 19(1):144.

PMID: 39251461 PMC: 11383917. DOI: 10.1186/s11671-024-04100-x.

The Anticancer Effects of the Garlic Organosulfide Diallyl Trisulfide through the Attenuation of B[a]P-Induced Oxidative Stress, AhR Expression, and DNA Damage in Human Premalignant Breast Epithelial (MCF-10AT1) Cells.

Ferguson D, Taka E, Tilghman S, Womble T, Redmond B, Gedeon S Int J Mol Sci. 2024; 25(2.

PMID: 38255999 PMC: 10815401. DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020923.

Medicinal and therapeutic properties of garlic, garlic essential oil, and garlic-based snack food: An updated review.

Verma T, Aggarwal A, Dey P, Chauhan A, Rashid S, Chen K Front Nutr. 2023; 10:1120377.

PMID: 36875845 PMC: 9978857. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1120377.

Allicin Alleviated LPS-Induced Mastitis via the TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells.

Che H, Zhou C, Lyu C, Meng Y, He Y, Wang H Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(4).

PMID: 36835218 PMC: 9962488. DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043805.

References

Lin W, Karin M . A cytokine-mediated link between innate immunity, inflammation, and cancer. J Clin Invest. 2007; 117(5):1175-83. PMC: 1857251. DOI: 10.1172/JCI31537. View

Singh S, Pan S, Srivastava S, Xia H, Hu X, Zaren H . Differential induction of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase by anti-carcinogenic organosulfides from garlic. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1998; 244(3):917-20. DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.1998.8352. View

Chang H, Chen Y . Differential effects of organosulfur compounds from garlic oil on nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in stimulated macrophages. Nutrition. 2005; 21(4):530-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2004.07.018. View

Bruck R, Aeed H, Brazovsky E, Noor T, Hershkoviz R . Allicin, the active component of garlic, prevents immune-mediated, concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury in mice. Liver Int. 2005; 25(3):613-21. DOI: 10.1111/j.1478-3231.2005.01050.x. View

Bhattacharyya M, Girish G, Karmohapatra S, Samad S, Sinha A . Systemic production of IFN-alpha by garlic (Allium sativum) in humans. J Interferon Cytokine Res. 2007; 27(5):377-82. DOI: 10.1089/jir.2006.0124. View

Kelkel M, Cerella C, Mack F, Schneider T, Jacob C, Schumacher M . ROS-independent JNK activation and multisite phosphorylation of Bcl-2 link diallyl tetrasulfide-induced mitotic arrest to apoptosis. Carcinogenesis. 2012; 33(11):2162-71. DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgs240. View

Kanterman J, Sade-Feldman M, Baniyash M . New insights into chronic inflammation-induced immunosuppression. Semin Cancer Biol. 2012; 22(4):307-18. DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2012.02.008. View

Sparnins V, Venegas P, WATTENBERG L . Glutathione S-transferase activity: enhancement by compounds inhibiting chemical carcinogenesis and by dietary constituents. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1982; 68(3):493-6. View

Kyo E, Uda N, Suzuki A, Kakimoto M, Ushijima M, Kasuga S . Immunomodulation and antitumor activities of Aged Garlic Extract. Phytomedicine. 2012; 5(4):259-67. DOI: 10.1016/S0944-7113(98)80064-0. View

10.

Mehta R, Steele V, Kelloff G, Moon R . Influence of thiols and inhibitors of prostaglandin biosynthesis on the carcinogen-induced development of mammary lesions in vitro. Anticancer Res. 1991; 11(2):587-91. View

11.

Reddy B, Rao C, RIVENSON A, Kelloff G . Chemoprevention of colon carcinogenesis by organosulfur compounds. Cancer Res. 1993; 53(15):3493-8. View

12.

Schafer F, Buettner G . Redox environment of the cell as viewed through the redox state of the glutathione disulfide/glutathione couple. Free Radic Biol Med. 2001; 30(11):1191-212. DOI: 10.1016/s0891-5849(01)00480-4. View

13.

Dirsch V, Gerbes A, Vollmar A . Ajoene, a compound of garlic, induces apoptosis in human promyeloleukemic cells, accompanied by generation of reactive oxygen species and activation of nuclear factor kappaB. Mol Pharmacol. 1998; 53(3):402-7. DOI: 10.1124/mol.53.3.402. View

14.

COHEN L, Zhao Z, Pittman B, Lubet R . S-allylcysteine, a garlic constituent, fails to inhibit N-methylnitrosourea-induced rat mammary tumorigenesis. Nutr Cancer. 2000; 35(1):58-63. DOI: 10.1207/S1532791458-63. View

15.

You W, Blot W, Chang Y, Ershow A, Yang Z, An Q . Allium vegetables and reduced risk of stomach cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1989; 81(2):162-4. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/81.2.162. View

16.

Kuttan G . Immunomodulatory effect of some naturally occuring sulphur-containing compounds. J Ethnopharmacol. 2000; 72(1-2):93-9. DOI: 10.1016/s0378-8741(00)00211-7. View

17.

Buiatti E, Palli D, Decarli A, Amadori D, Avellini C, Bianchi S . A case-control study of gastric cancer and diet in Italy. Int J Cancer. 1989; 44(4):611-6. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910440409. View

18.

Dirsch V, Vollmar A . Ajoene, a natural product with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-like properties?. Biochem Pharmacol. 2001; 61(5):587-93. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-2952(00)00580-3. View

19.

Hatono S, Jimenez A, Wargovich M . Chemopreventive effect of S-allylcysteine and its relationship to the detoxification enzyme glutathione S-transferase. Carcinogenesis. 1996; 17(5):1041-4. DOI: 10.1093/carcin/17.5.1041. View

20.

Rosen R, Hiserodt R, Fukuda E, Ruiz R, Zhou Z, Lech J . Determination of allicin, S-allylcysteine and volatile metabolites of garlic in breath, plasma or simulated gastric fluids. J Nutr. 2001; 131(3s):968S-71S. DOI: 10.1093/jn/131.3.968S. View