Antihepatotoxic Actions of<i>Allium sativum</i>Bulbs¹

Abstract

Garlic constituents, the volatile oil, alliin, S-allylmercaptocysteine (ASSC) and S-methylmercapto-cysteine (MSSC) were subjected to assay for their antihepatotoxic activity using the in vitro and in vivo liver damage models. Marked inhibitory activity was found with the volatile oil, ASSC and MSSC in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)- and galactosamine (GalN)-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes as model systems. ASSC exhibited a remarkable inhibitory action and the volatile oil, alliin and MSSC showed tendencies to elicit protective actions in GalN-produced liver lesion in rats. The volatile oil inhibited CCl4-induced free radical formation and lipid peroxidation, indicating that anti-oxidative activity participates in the inhibitory effect of the volatile oil in CCl4-evoked liver damage.