[iko (OP)]

I decided to move some garlic notes
that ended up in the Guest Book of
General Discussion & FeedBack to a
proper place: here!

Hope the discussion and posting rate will
increase in the next few weeks.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Garlic.jpg/400px-Garlic.jpg

Why a specific medical interest in garlic?
Well, why not investigating   "Plant compounds that have evolved over millions of years as chemical defense agents against infection. Garlic has been used in medicine for centuries..."
When the initial enthusiasm in orthodox medicine is gradually replaced by a major concern for its limits and - in some particular cases - its unacceptable percentage of failure, even neglected popular remedies may sound promising.

I found the first medical report in 1980, about garlic in cryptococcal meningitis: 75% efficacy versus 50% with the standard anti-fungal treatment (1).  I had seen a pediatric case just a few months before, that ended tragically after standard therapy failure and I was obviously impressed.
Chinese doctors then told me that they also used intravenous preparations for septic patients, together with common antibiotics, in the so called 'fever regime' antibiotic cocktails.
They did not claim miracle results, but it seemed to help and didn't cost much.
Talking about unpretentiousness and wisdom in oriental Medicine.

We do not use garlic in our western Medicine: little interest, few studies and poor 'evidences'.
Who is going to invest in clinical research with an 'unpatentable', inexpensive, awfully smelly substance?
It would probably take just a bit of money but quite a lot of guts and a good sense of humour!
Not exactly what you encounter in academic Science.
Actually most of the work still has to be done, before any hypothetical clinical application.  We are surely late and we are probably missing an efficient and inexpensive 'old tool' in our hands.

ikod

1) Garlic in cryptococcal meningitis: a preliminary report of 21 cases.
   [No authors listed]   Chin Med J (Engl). 1980 Feb;93(2):123-6.

[iko (OP)]

Garlic Miracle

   
http://www.forskning.no/Bilder/1072702966.5/1072702966.5_content.JPG
http://www.uel.ac.uk/marketing/news/local_artwork/14.jpg
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The ingredient which gives garlic its distinctive smell is the latest weapon in the battle to beat the hospital "superbug" MRSA.
University of East London researchers found allicin treated even the most antibiotic-resistant strains of the infection. MRSA (Methecillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) causes an estimated 2,000 deaths in UK hospitals each year. Researchers are now testing allicin products in a six-month study.

Dr Ron Cutler and his team discovered the effectiveness of allicin in laboratory tests five years ago. They found it can cure MRSA within weeks. It is even effective against the newer strains which cannot be treated by the "last line of defense" antibiotics Vancomycin and Glycopeptides. For treating infections the team have developed a nasal cream, pills and soaps. The effect of the treatment was dramatic on Deborah Brown, the first patient.
Initial trials have proved effective, so researchers will now test them in a six-month study of 200 volunteers including healthcare workers and patients. The scientists hope the products will be used by people working in hospitals so they can prevent MRSA being passed on to patients, as well as the patients themselves.

MRSA organisms can live harmlessly in humans, carried in the nasal passages and on the skin, but they can cause fatal infections in immune-suppressed patients, the elderly, the young and those with surgical implants. Dr Cutler told BBC News Online: "My aim would be to firstly work to try and reduce the carriage of MRSA amongst healthcare workers.

"But we would also hope to use allicin treatments for patients themselves." He added: "The trials we have conducted so far show that this formulation is highly effective against MRSA, and it could save many l ives. "MRSA is causing a genuine crisis in our hospital system in Britain and worldwide. Antibiotics are increasingly ineffective, but we do have a powerful natural ally.

"Plant compounds have evolved over millions of years as chemical defense agents against infection. "Garlic has been used in medicine for centuries, and it should be no surprise that it is effective against this very modern infection."

'Incredibly painful' Deborah Brown, 34, from Rainham in Kent, contracted MRSA after a major spinal operation in November 2000. Painful wounds on her spine failed to heal for two years, despite using the antibiotics and creams currently available. But within two months of using the allicin creams and pills, her MRSA had virtually cleared and the wounds had begun to heal. She said: "The effect of the treatment was dramatic - I am making a good recovery - but it was really awful at the time. "Having weeping wounds on my back that never healed was incredibly painful and I became increasingly depressed as the MRSA didn't respond to repeated courses of antibiotics.
"If my case helps to show that allicin works against MRSA then I am glad that something good might come of it." The research is to be published in the Journal of Biomedical Science next year.

January 27, 2004

from:  Garlic 'beats hospital superbug'!!! 
http://fourwinds10.com/NewsServer/ArticleFunctions/ArticleDetails.php?ArticleID=5136

Antibacterial activity of a new, stable, aqueous extract of allicin
against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Cutler RR, Wilson P.
University of East London, School of Health and Bioscience, Stratford Campus, Romford Road, London E15 4LZ, UK. r.cutler@uel.ac.uk

The increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospitals and the community has led to a demand for new agents that could be used to decrease the spread of these bacteria. Topical agents such as mupirocin have been used to reduce nasal carriage and spread and to treat skin infections; however, resistance to mupirocin in MRSAs is increasing.
Allicin is the main antibacterial agent isolated from garlic, but natural extracts can be unstable. In this study, a new, stable, aqueous extract of allicin (extracted from garlic) is tested on 30 clinical isolates of MRSA that show a range of susceptibilities to mupirocin. Strains were tested using agar diffusion tests, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Diffusion tests showed that allicin liquids produced zone diameters >33 mm when the proposed therapeutic concentration of 500 microg/mL (0.0005% w/v) was used. The selection of this concentration was based on evidence from the MIC, MBC and agar diffusion tests in this study. Of the strains tested, 88% had MICs for allicin liquids of 16 microg/mL, and all strains were inhibited at 32 microg/mL. Furthermore, 88% of clinical isolates had MBCs of 128 microg/mL, and all were killed at 256 microg/mL. Of these strains, 82% showed intermediate or full resistance to mupirocin; however, this study showed that a concentration of 500 microg/mL in an aqueous cream base was required to produce an activity equivalent to 256 microg/mL allicin liquid.

Br J Biomed Sci. 2004;61(2):71-4.

[iko (OP)]

Smelly garlic news...

 
http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/GM00SpringSummer/news-garlic.jpg
http://www.get-great-legs.com/images/garlic.jpg

Diallyl disulfide inhibits WEHI-3 leukemia cells in vivo.

Yang JS, Kok LF, Lin YH, Kuo TC, Yang JL, Lin CC, Chen GW, Huang WW, Ho HC, Chung JG.
Dept.Med.Technology Yuan-Pei University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC.

Enhanced garlic (Allium sativum) consumption is closely related to reduced cancer incidence, as shown in epidemiological studies. Diallyl disulfide (DADS), a component of garlic, inhibits the proliferation of human blood, colon, lung and skin cancer cells.
Although DADS had been reported to induce apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells, there are no reports regarding whether or not it affects leukemia cells in vivo. Therefore, the present study is focused on the in vivo effects of DADS on WEHI-3 leukemia cells. The effects of DADS on murine WEHI-3 cells were initially examined, and the results indicated that DADS induced cytotoxicity and that this effect was dose-dependent. The effects of DADS on WEHI-3 in BALBIc mice were also examined, and the results indicated that DADS decreased the percentage of MAC-3 marker, indicating that differentiation of the precursor of macrophage and T cells was inhibited. The weights of liver and spleen were also measured, and the results indicated that DADS decreased the weight of these organs. An important characteristic of WEHI-3 leukemia is the enlarged spleen in mice after i.p. injection of WEHI-3 cells. Based on pathological examination, the function of DADS was observed in the liver and spleen of mice previously injected with WEHI-3 cells. Apparently, DADS affects WEHI-3 cells both in vitro and in vivo.

Anticancer Res. 2006 Jan-Feb;26(1A):219-25.

[iko (OP)]

Garlic antifungal intravenous  preparations
(Allium sativum)

 
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http://www.foodmuseum.com/images/garlic1.jpg

Enhanced diallyl trisulfide has in vitro synergy with amphotericin B against Cryptococcus neoformans.
Shen J, Davis LE, Wallace JM, Cai Y, Lawson LD.
Department of Microbiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, USA.

Although amphotericin B remains the drug of choice for systemic fungal infections, its use is limited by considerable side effects. In The Peoples' Republic of China, commercial Allium sativum derived compounds are widely used as an antifungal drug to treat systemic fungal infections. To evaluate the scientific merit of using A. sativum derived compounds as antifungal agents, we studied a Chinese commercial preparation, allitridium. This preparation contained mainly diallyl trisulfide as confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography. Allitridium, with and without amphotericin B, was tested to determine its efficacy in killing three isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the commercial preparation was 50 micrograms/ml and the minimum fungicidal concentration was 100 micrograms/ml against 1 x 10(5) organisms of C. neoformans. In addition, the commercial preparation was shown to be synergistic with amphotericin B in the in vitro killing of C. neoformans. This study demonstrates that diallyl trisulfide and other polysulfides possess potent in vitro fungicidal effects and their activity is synergistic with amphotericin B. These observations lend laboratory support for the treatment of cryptococcal infections with both amphotericin B and the Chinese commercial preparation.

Planta Med. 1996 Oct;62(5):415-8.

The first report on positive effect of a garlic preparation
in patients affected by cryptococcal meningitis had been
published in the Chinese Medical Journal in 1980.

Unfortunately these data had not been confirmed...yet.

ikod

[iko (OP)]

     
http://www.vegparadise.com/images/garlic7.jpg
http://www.life-enthusiast.com/ingredient/images/garlic.jpg
http://www.frostwarning.com/users/quagseven/stirfry/garlic.jpg

Garlic Extract: The Solution to Warts and Corns

Warts and corns are the most common dermatologic condition among Americans, with a recent study finding that 4 million elderly Americans are afflicted.1  Recommended treatments for warts range from at-home remedies like adhesive tape therapy and salicylic acid therapy to complex medical treatments, such as liquid nitrogen therapy and laser treatment.2  Now a new study has found an effective treatment for warts in perhaps the most famous vegetable you should take for a healthy heart: garlic.
 
Studies on garlic in recent years have shown that certain compounds present in garlic are useful for the treatment of many diseases including hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis.   Garlic has also been shown to be effective against cancer, bacteria and viruses.
In the study, 33 people with corns and/or warts were administered either a water extract of garlic (5 patients) a lipid extract of garlic (23 patients) or a control (5 patients).  The extracts were applied to the affected areas two times per day until partial or full recovery was achieved. The control group used a neutral solvent two times per day for 20 days.
While the control group showed no improvement, the water garlic extract resulted in “complete disappearance” of small warts and partial improvement of large warts after 30-40 days.  The lipid garlic extract, however, showed the best results with a “complete disappearance” of warts in all cases after one to two weeks of use.  What’s more, 80% of corns resolved within two to three weeks of treatment with the lipid extract.   Finally, there were no recurrences of warts or corns after 3-4 months of follow-up.
The only side effect of the lipid garlic extract were some local irritating effects such as burning, redness, blistering, and temporary darkening of the skin around the treated area.
The researchers went on to say that garlic extract has “curative properties” for warts and corn and that more studies should be done to discover the mechanism of action in garlic in curing warts and corns.
 
By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, September 29, 2005, abstracted from “Healing effect of garlic extract on warts and corns”, a Letter to the Editor in the July 2005 issue of the International Journal of Dermatology.

from:   http://www.nowfoods.com/?action=itemdetail&item_id=74320   

[iko (OP)]

...more interesting news from
dermatology and oncology:

The garlic-derived organosulfur component ajoene
decreases basal cell carcinoma tumor size by inducing apoptosis.

Tilli CM, Stavast-Kooy AJ, Vuerstaek JD, Thissen MR, Krekels GA, Ramaekers FC, Neumann HA.
Research Institute Growth and Development (GROW), University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Although the therapeutic role of ajoene, an organosulfur compound of garlic, in cardiovascular diseases and mycology has been established, its usefulness in cancer treatment has only recently been suggested. We applied ajoene topically to the tumors of 21 patients with either nodular or superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC).
A reduction in tumor size was seen in 17 patients. Immunohistochemical assays for Bcl-2 expression in a selection of these tumors before and after treatment showed a significant decrease in this apoptosis-suppressing protein. On average, the percentage of tumor cells expressing the proliferation marker Ki-67 was not decreased, which suggests that the action of ajoene is not explained by a cytostatic effect. To obtain further insight into the mode of action of ajoene, the BCC cell line TE354T and a short-term primary culture of BCC were analyzed for apoptosis induction after treatment with the drug. Apoptosis was detected by morphology of the cells and by flow cytometry. Ajoene induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner in these cultures.
Taking together the results of the in vivo and in vitro studies, we conclude that ajoene can reduce BCC tumor size, mainly by inducing the mitochondria-dependent route of apoptosis.

Arch Dermatol Res. 2003 Jul;295(3):117-23.

Ajoene inhibits both primary tumor growth and metastasis
of B16/BL6 melanoma cells in C57BL/6 mice.

Taylor P, Noriega R, Farah C, Abad MJ, Arsenak M, Apitz R.
Laboratorio de Patologia Celular y Molecular, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC), Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela. ptaylor@ivic.ve

Ajoene is an organosulphur compound derived from garlic with important effects on several membrane-associated processes such as platelet aggregation, as well as being cytotoxic for tumor cell lines in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ajoene on different cell types in vitro, as well as its inhibitory effects on both primary tumors and metastasis in a mouse model. We found ajoene to inhibit tumor cell growth in vitro, but also to inhibit strongly metastasis to lung in the B16/BL6 melanoma tumor model in C57BL/6 mice. As far as we are aware, this is the first report of the anti-metastatic effect of ajoene. Ajoene also inhibited tumor-endothelial cell adhesion, as well as the in vivo TNF-alpha response to lipopolysaccharide. Possible mechanisms of its antitumoral activity are discussed in the light of these results.

Cancer Lett. 2006 Aug 8;239(2):298-304.

[iko (OP)]

Maybe the miracle cure is right under your nose?

by Tom Arneberg, Community Columnist

...What is the scientific basis for the healing power of garlic?
Garlic is a natural antibiotic that kills infecting bacteria. The forefather of antibiotic medicine, Louis Pasteur, acknowledged garlic to be effective, and later studies have shown activity similar to a more modern antibiotic, chloramphenicol.

Unlike modern antibiotics, garlic needs no prescription. And it's cheap, so we don't even need universal health care to partake. There are many other purported health benefits of garlic, regarding cholesterol, blood pressure, and so on. But for me, it's worth it even if the only advantage is getting sick less.
...
 
click here to read more:

http://arneberg.com/columns/ch/2003/0827.garlic.html

http://arneberg.com/columns/ch/2003/pics/0827.garlic/garlic1.gif

Isolation of alliumin, a novel protein with antimicrobial
and antiproliferative activities from multiple-cloved garlic bulbs.

Xia L, Ng TB.
Dept.Biochemistry, Faculty of Med.,The Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.

A protein designated alliumin, with a molecular mass of 13 kDa and an N-terminal sequence similar to a partial sequence of glucanase, and demonstrating antifungal activity against Mycosphaerella arachidicola, but not against Fusarium oxysporum, was isolated from multiple-cloved garlic (Allium sativum) bulbs. The protein, designated as alliumin, was purified using ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, CM-cellulose and Mono S, affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, and gel filtration on Superdex 75. Alliumin was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose, but was adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel, CM-cellulose and Mono S. Its antifungal activity was retained after boiling for 1 h and also after treatment with trypsin or chymotrypsin (1:1, w/w) for 30 min at room temperature. Alliumin was inhibitory to the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens and exerted antiproliferative activity toward leukemia L1210 cells. However, it was devoid of ribonuclease activity, protease activity, mitogenic activity toward mouse splenocytes, and antiproliferative activity toward hepatoma Hep G2 cells.

Peptides. 2005 Feb;26(2):177-83.
L1210 = murine lymphoblastic leukemia cell line.

[neilep]

Iko...would you like me to move the original garlic thread here ?

[Seany]

I am pretty sure he wouldn't want to. Otherwise he wouldn't have made this new thread. [] Unless he didn't want to bother a moderator?

[iko (OP)]

Iko...would you like me to move the original garlic thread here ?

Thanks me friendos,

I just moved reports and abstracts here,
leaving the entertaining "bagna cauda"
sort of thing down there in Guest Book.
I meant to keep it more scientific here.

ikod

[iko (OP)]

 

Antifungal effects of the volatile oils from Allium plants
against Trichophyton species and synergism of the oils with ketoconazole.

Pyun MS, Shin S.
College of Pharmacy, Duksung Women's University, Seoul 132-714, Republic of Korea.

In an attempt to develop stable and safe antifungal agents from natural products (daily foodstuffs in particular), the activities of essential oils from Allium sativum for. pekinense, A. cepa, and A. fistulosum against three Trichophyton species responsible for severe mycoses in humans were investigated and compared with activity of allicin in this study. The fungistatic activities of Allium oils were evaluated by the broth dilution method and disk diffusion assay. The combined effects of Allium oils with ketoconazole were tested by the checkerboard titer test. Among the tested oils, A. sativum for. pekinense oil exhibited the strongest inhibition of growth of T. rubrum, T. erinacei, and T. soudanense with MICs (minimum inhibiting concentrations) of 64microg/ml, while the activities of A. cepa and A. fistulosum were relatively mild. The inhibiting activities of the oils on Sabouraud agar plates were dose dependent against Trichophyton species. Additionally, these oils showed significant synergistic antifungal activity when combined with ketoconazole in the checkerboard titer test and disk diffusion test.

Phytomedicine. 2006 Jun;13(6):394-400.

[Seany]

Iko, one curious thing. At the end of your posts, you write "Ikod"

Why the "d" at the end? []

[iko (OP)]

Iko, one curious thing. At the end of your posts, you write "Ikod"

Why the "d" at the end? []

Hi Newbie-Hero Seany,

Surprisingly you aren't curious enough to check my bio-info...

Enrico
Ico
iko
ikod

[Seany]

Hmm. I've just read it. But why is it anything to do with Cod Liver Oil? I'm not sure what Cod Liver Oil contains, but something to do with ikod? []

[iko (OP)]

Hmm. I've just read it. But why is it anything to do with Cod Liver Oil? I'm not sure what Cod Liver Oil contains, but something to do with ikod? []

It's a long story I tried to compress in the 'Childhood Leukemia' topic and to expand in terms of information in 'Cod Liver Oil'(Complementary Med.).
Actually this was my motivation to join NKSs forum.
My message got through the web and now the discussion is open!
Take care

ikod

[Seany]

OK! It's just that your name reminds me of an ipod. []

[iko (OP)]

OK! It's just that your name reminds me of an ipod. []

No way ikod is gonna be as famous as ipod, young Seany!

ikoded  []

http://www.griffemedia.it/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/maso-ipod.jpg

...look what you find searching for 'ipod' on GoogleImages!

[Seany]

LOL! That picture is awesome! []

[PHDee]

Hi there,

I happen to notice you have a post here about how pure and isolated Allicin can kill MRSA.
Our family is living proof of this. Last year we nearly lost our oldest son to flesh eating CA-MRSA.
Our doctor is the chief of staff at our local hospital. He told us not to worry because the 3 antibiotics that he used would kill MRSA with no problem.
MRSA was back withing 10 days of finishing the antibiotics.
I knew at that point that we were in big trouble.
I researched natural things that would kill MRSA without causing resistance.
We found Allimed, pure and isolated Allicin.
We all started using it internally and externally. Before it had a chance to kick in, MRSA started to get to the rest of our family.
It went after our youngest son and then to me.
I kept fighting MRSA with Allimed and we are so glad we did.
We saw an ID doctor and I asked why if they culture MRSA to see which drugs it is sensitive to, does it not kill it.
He could only say that they keep combining antibiotic to see which one MIGHT kill it.
I realized at that point that they are experimenting on us and we decided to run from antibiotics.
We had such excellent results from using Allimed that we have not needed any further medical attention. We killed MRSA ourselves! Praise God
Here is the website for Allimed www.allimedonline.com [nofollow]
It was developed by a team of doctors and scientist in England.
I hope this helps others, PHD

[paul.fr]

Excellent news, Dee. I note from your last topic you were going to try collodic silver. Did you?