ANTIOXIDANT AND RADICAL SCAVENGING EFFECTS OF AGED GARLIC EXTRACT ANDITS CONSTITUENTS

The antioxidant properties of three garlic preparations and organosulf ur compounds in garlic have been determined. Aged garlic extract inhib ited the emission of low level chemiluminescence and the early formati on of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS) in liver micros omal fraction initiated by t-butyl hydroperoxide. However, the water e xtracts of raw and heat-treated garlic enhanced the emission of low le vel chemiluminescence, Among the variety of organosulfur compounds, S- allylcysteine (SAC) and S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC), the major orga nosulfur compounds found in aged garlic extract, showed radical scaven ging activity in both chemiluminescence and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydra zyl (DPPH) assays, indicating that these compounds may play an importa nt role in the antioxidative activity of aged garlic extract.