RIVERS STATE COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE

SEMINAR PRESENTATION ON:

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALLIUM SATIVA IN CORONA VIRUS ERA.

BY:
AKPAN SYLVESTER
MLN/18/

SUPERVISOR: DR. (MRS) IBIENE KALIO

JANUARY, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a specie in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion
, shallot, leek , chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to Central Asia and northeastern
Iran and has long been a common seasoning worldwide, with a history of several thousand years
of human consumption and use as food and medicine .The bulb or clove is the part of the plant
that’s used most often. But sometimes garlic oil is used. Garlic is best stored hung in a dry place
(McGee, 2004). Garlic contains useful minerals such as phosphorous, calcium, and iron, as well as
trace minerals like iodine, sulfur, and chlorine, which are also present in the cloves (USDA, 2014).

Below are some health benefits of garlic.

1. Cancer Fighting and Prevention
Significant evidence suggests that garlic can play a role in the prevention of cancer and the
slowing of its progression. Several studies have indicated an association between daily
consumption of garlic and prevention of stomach and colorectal cancers. It is said to strengthen
the immunity of the body against cancer. Aged garlic extract (AGE) might be used as herbal
medicine with few side effects as compared to chemotherapy in treating cancers caused by
substances like aflatoxin B1 (Larypoor et al., 2013).

2. For Skin and Hair

The invigorating properties of garlic protect the skin from the effect of free radicals and slow
down the depletion of collagen which leads to loss of elasticity in aging skin.
Garlic does wonders to skin infected with fungal infections and provides relief from skin ailments
like eczema. It is also an effective remedy for fungal infections like athlete’s foot and
ringworms. Because of its antibacterial properties, garlic can help reduce swelling and
inflammation from acne (Bayan et al., 2014).

3. Boosts Digestion
Daily inclusion of garlic in your diet aids in eliminating any digestive problems. The herb assists
in the normal functioning of the intestines for good digestion. Even swelling or irritation of the
gastric canal may be rectified with garlic as a treatment.

4. Controls Diabetes
Diabetes can harm the kidneys, inhibit nervous system functions, cause heart disorders, and even
lead to poor eyesight. The oil extracted from garlic may protect diabetic patients from these side
effects (Bayan et al., 2014).

5. Lowers Cholesterol Levels

Of the two kinds of cholesterol –LDL, and HDL, the former is bad for human health. Garlic, rich
in the allicin compound, effectively prevents LDL cholesterol from oxidizing. All those who have
high cholesterol levels should include this herb in their daily diet (Ried et al., 2008).

6. Prevention of Heart Disease

Consuming garlic on a daily basis (in food or raw) helps to lower cholesterol levels because of the
anti-oxidant properties of Allicin. It is also immensely beneficial to regulate blood pressure and
blood sugar levels.
It is essential to remember that the sulphur-containing compound Allicin tends to lose its
medicinal properties when garlic is cooked whole. It is important to consume garlic raw or semi-
cooked to derive any of its benefits (Ried et al., 2008).

7. Treats Cold
Raw garlic is used to treat colds and coughs (Lissiman et al., 2014).

8. Controls Asthma
Because of garlic's anti-inflammatory characteristics, garlic is thought to be effective against both
allergy and asthma.
9. Heal wounds
Allicin, the active component of garlic, has been shown to have antimicrobial and anti-
inflammatory properties. Garlic has also been used historically by many cultures to heal wounds.
Several animal studies have shown that garlic extracts increase the rate of wound healing and
decrease the rate of infection (Alhashim & Lombardo, 2018).
10. Acts as a natural antibiotic
Garlic has significant antibacterial properties that help protect against certain infections. This is
particularly important for strains resistant to antibiotics, including MRSA. Though it should not
replace treatment by your physician, garlic can offer protective benefits as a supplement (Bayan et
al., 2014).
CORONA VIRUS DISEASE
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), is related to a RNA virus of the coronavirus family,
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV), which is renamed as SARS‐
CoV‐2 . The severity of COVID‐19 infection is quite variable and the manifestations varies
from asymptomatic disease to severe acute respiratory infection (Gorbalenya et al., 2020). Persons
with obesity are also at high risk due to chronic diseases associated with obesity. Quarantine in
obese subjects should likely be longer than normal weight individuals. On the other hand, obese
people already avoid social contact and experience high rates of depression. Health care providers
are expected to fight obesity more than ever. The COVID‐19 pandemic and the obesity epidemic
threat the world in unprecedented ways. This pandemic disease has also destroyed the lives of
children and their families. World Health Organization declares that although all age groups are at
risk of COVID-19, older people face significant risk of developing severe illness, due to
physiological changes, especially in immune system, associated with ageing and presence of
chronic diseases (WHO, 2020).

At the first instance, fever, dry cough, respiratory distress, myalgia, fatigue and loss of appetite are
the most prevalent general symptoms. Most of patients have reported olfactory and gustatory
dysfunctions. The anosmia or ageusia are also recognized as important symptoms of the COVID-
19 infection. In critical patients, at least one of the following three criteria may be observed:
respiratory failure, septic shock, multiple organ failure (Geier & Geier, 2020; Wang et al., 2020).

The profiles of some immune cells in COVID-19 have also been clarified. Decreased regulatory T
(Treg) cells, cytotoxic and helper T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, monocytes/macrophages have
been pointed out. On the other hand, proinflammatory cytokines such tumor necrosis factor-alpha
(TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon gamma (IFN-
γ), as well as leptin are among those exhibiting an increasing tendency (Chen et al., 2020).

ALLIUM SATIVUM IN CORONA VIRUSE ERA

The beneficial effects of Allium sativum (garlic) on health have been emphasized for centuries.
Garlic contains numerous compounds that have the potential to influence immunity (Percival,
2016). Garlic is one of the most efficient natural antibiotics against the wide spectrum of viruses
and bacteria. Organosulfur (e.g., allicin and alliin) and flavonoid (e.g., quercetin) compounds are
responsible for immunomodulatory effects of this healthy spice. The viral replication process is
accelerated with the main structural protease of SARS-CoV-2. The formation of hydrogen bonds
between this serine-type protease and garlic bioactives in the active site regions inhibits the
COVID-19 outbreak. The daily dietary intake of garlic and its derived-products as an adjuvant
therapy may improve side effects and toxicity of the main therapeutic drugs with reducing the
used dose (Batiha et al., 2020).
In recent reports, garlic and its complex constituents have been investigated as promising
candidates for improving immune system. Garlic extracts and compounds isolated were examined
in terms of their immunoregulatory functions in detail. It is a well-known fact that immune
dysfunction plays an important role in the development and progress of several diseases and this
functional food may contribute to the prevention and treatment of pathologies such as obesity,
metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disorders, gastric ulcer, and even cancer. Aged garlic extract
(AGE) might be used as herbal medicine with few side effects as compared to chemotherapy in
treating cancers caused by substances like aflatoxin B1 (Sánchez-Sánchez et al., 2020 ; Arreola et
al., 2015).

Garlic seems to increase the immune system functions. It stimulates macrophages, lymphocytes,
NK cells, DC and eosinophils, by mechanisms including modulation of cytokine secretion,
immunoglobulin synthesis, phagocytosis and macrophage activation. Garlic participates in
cytokine secretion modulation, which may provide a mechanism of action for many of its
therapeutic effects. Alliin is the main organosulfur compound in garlic and has been shown to
induce a decrease in the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (Arreola et al., 2015).

Garlic supplementation causes significant increases in CD4 + and CD8 + cells. This plant also
stimulates NK cells. Decreased leptin, leptin receptor, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-
gamma (PPAR-γ) and IL-6 concentrations were also detected as the other beneficial
immunological and hormonal effects of the garlic (Beni & Omidi, 2018).

Leptin is an anorexigenic hormone, which commands hypothalamic neurons not to eat and to
metabolize more by way of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone. Leptin regulates food intake
and body weight by acting primarily in the hypothalamus. Leptin, by increasing
proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and cocaine amphetamine regulated transcript expression, and at
the same time, decreasing agouti related peptide (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y expression, causes
appetite decrease.Leptin leads to appetite decrease (Hussain & Khan, 2017). Garlic decreases
leptin by decreasing LepR. It is also reported that garlic increases appetite. Decreased leptin
concentrations caused by garlic may be helpful to alleviate appetite loss observed in patients with
COVID-19 infection.

Garlic has antiinflammatory, antimutagenic and antitumor properties. Intra-tumor injection of a

protein fraction purified from fresh garlic bulbs significantly increased CD8 + T lymphocytes in
the peripheral blood, augmented CD8 + T cell infiltration into the tumor site, decreased tumor size
and inhibited tumor growth in experimental studies (Batiha et al., 2020).

SUMMARY
Allium sativum is a functional food well-known for its immunomodulatory, antimicrobial,
antiinflammatory, antimutagenic, antitumor properties. Its antiviral efficiency has also been
demonstrated. It appears to reverse most immune system dysfunctions observed in patients with
COVID-19 infection. This food may be helpful 1. to reverse some signs and symptoms observed
in these patients, 2. to reincrease or regain the decreased or lost gustatory sense, 3. to increase the
number of Treg cells, 4. to increase cytotoxic and helper T cells, 5. to decrease the levels of leptin,
leptin receptor and PPAR-γ 6. to increase appetite, 7. to prevent the inhibition of CD4+ CD25+
FoxP3+, Treg cells, 8. to decrease IL-6 concentrations, 9. to stimulate NK cells, 10. to suppress
TNF-α and C- reactive protein. Allium sativum is suggested as a beneficial preventive measure
before being infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 virus.

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