MODULATION OF HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS BY GARLIC BASED ON ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION IN RAT

Abstract

ABSTRACT Garlic is a well-known medicinal plant exhibiting numerous beneficial health effects such as anti-oxidant, hypolipidemic or anti-artherosclerotic. However, there are some discrepancies about beneficial effects of garlic according to dosage and mode of administration. We investigated the ability of garlic to act on some of the hematological and biochemical parameters in rats when used at high dosage either orally (PO) or by intraperitoneal (IP) route. When administered by PO route during 1 month garlic exhibited overall beneficial health effects as assessed by weight gain. Conversely, when garlic administered through IP route exhibited toxic side-effects as evidenced by weight loss and elevated activities of transaminases in plasma. It is concluded that garlic exerted real beneficial health effects with less toxicity when PO administered. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Garlic is used worldwide at high concentration as a nutritional supplement that elicits significant beneficial health effects. However, the best way for garlic administration, i.e. orally (PO) or intraperitoneal (IP) way is still controversial. In semi-chronic experiments of one month duration garlic administration by PO route appeared more beneficial with less toxicity when compared with IP route as assessed by several hematological and biochemical markers. We hypothesized that beneficial or toxic effects of garlic are linked to the extent by which garlic is able to modulate free plasma iron level, i.e. beneficial effects at low (+28%) and toxic at high (+48%) iron level.