Pretreatment of Garlic Oil Extracts Hampers Epithelial Damage in Cell Culture Model of Peptic Ulcer Disease

Background and Objectives: Peptic ulcer disease is a chronic disease affecting up to 10% of the world’s population. Proton pump inhibitors, such as lansoprazole are the gold standard in the treatment of ulcer disease. However, various studies have shown the effectiveness of garlic oil extracts in the treatment of ulcer disease. A cellular model can be established in the human gastric cell line by sodium taurocholate. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of garlic oil extracts pretreatment and LPZ addition in the cell culture model of peptic ulcer disease by examining oxidative stress and F-actin distribution. Materials and Methods: Evaluation was performed by determination of glutathione and prostaglandin E2 concentrations by ELISA; human gastric cell line proliferation by cell counting; expression of ATP-binding cassette, sub-family G, member 2; nuclear factor kappa B subunit 2 by RT PCR; and F-actin cytoskeleton visualization by semi-quantification of Rhodamine Phalloidin stain. Results: Our results showed significant reduction of cell damage after sodium taurocholate incubation when the gastric cells were pretreated with lansoprazole (p < 0.001) and increasing concentrations of garlic oil extracts (p < 0.001). Pretreatment with lansoprazole and different concentrations of garlic oil extracts increased prostaglandin E2 and glutathione concentrations in the cell culture model of peptic ulcer disease (p < 0.001). Positive correlation of nuclear factor kappa B subunit 2 (p < 0.01) with lansoprazole and garlic oil extracts pretreatment was seen, while ATP-binding cassette, sub-family G, member 2 expression was not changed. Treatment with sodium taurocholate as oxidative stress on F actin structure was less pronounced, although the highest concentration of garlic oil extracts led to a statistically significant increase of total amount of F-actin (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Hence, pretreatment with garlic oil extracts had gastroprotective effect in the cell model of peptic ulcer disease. However, further experiments are needed to fully elucidate the mechanism of this protective role.

Oxidative Effects in Streptozotocin-induced Male and Female Mice: The Effect of Garlic Oil and Melatonin

Background: Recent studies have revealed that a hyperglycemia-induced overproduction of superoxide can be the first event in the activation of all pathways involved in the pathogenesis of complications of diabetes. Supplementation of garlic was found to decrease diabetes-induced oxidative stress complications. Studies shown also that melatonin attenuates diabetes‐induced oxidative stress in diabetic induced rabbits and rats. Objective: In this present study, oxidative stress in diabetic model and the effect of garlic oil or melatonin treatment were examined in both genders' male and females' mice. Methods: 96 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups including control (C), diabetic (D), melatonin 10 mg/kg (D+M), garlic extract 100 mg/kg (D+G) and combined melatonin and garlic (D+M+G). All treatments were given orally daily for 16 weeks after induction of hyperglycemia by streptozocin (STZ). Fasting blood glucose and antioxidant levels were estimated. Results: Streptozotocin induced diabetic mice, showed a significant increase of plasma glucose, lipid peroxide and uric acid. Accordingly, significant decreases in the levels of antioxidants ceruloplasmin were found in the plasma of diabetic mice. Treatment of diabetic mice with garlic oil or melatonin for 16 weeks significantly increased plasma levels of ceruloplasmin activities. Lipid peroxides, uric acid, blood glucose was decreased significantly after treatment with garlic oil or melatonin. Conclusion: The results suggest that garlic oil or melatonin may effectively normalize the impaired antioxidants status in streptozotocin induced diabetes in both males and females mice.

Preparation and Optimization of Garlic Oil/Apple Cider Vinegar Nanoemulsion Loaded with Minoxidil to Treat Alopecia

Alopecia areata is a scarless, localized hair loss disorder that is typically treated with topical formulations that ultimately only further irritate the condition. Hence, the goal of this study was to develop a nanoemulsion with a base of garlic oil (GO) and apple cider vinegar (APCV) and loaded with minoxidil (MX) in order to enhance drug solubilization and permeation through skin. A distance coordinate exchange quadratic mixture design was used to optimize the proposed nanoemulsion. Span 20 and Tween 20 mixtures were used as the surfactant, and Transcutol was used as the co-surfactant. The developed formulations were characterized for their droplet size, minoxidil steady-state flux (MX Jss) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Propionibacterium acnes. The optimized MX-GO-APCV nanoemulsion had a droplet size of 110 nm, MX Jss of 3 μg/cm2 h, and MIC of 0.275 μg/mL. The optimized formulation acquired the highest ex vivo skin permeation parameters compared to MX aqueous dispersion, and varying formulations lacked one or more components of the proposed nanoemulsion. GO and APCV in the optimized formulation had a synergistic, enhancing activity on the MX permeation across the skin membrane, and the percent permeated increased from 12.7% to 41.6%. Finally, the MX-GO-APCV nanoemulsion followed the Korsmeyer–Peppas model of diffusion, and the value of the release exponent (n) obtained for the formulations was found to be 1.0124, implying that the MX permeation followed Super case II transport. These results demonstrate that the MX-GO-APCV nanoemulsion formulation could be useful in promoting MX activity in treating alopecia areata.

Effect of Supplying Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Essential Oils to Feedlot Lambs on in vitro Ruminal Fermentation

The aim of this trial was to evaluate the ruminal degradation kinetics of carbohydrates in diets with different roughage:concentrate ratios and dosages of garlic and rosemary essential oils, in order to find the most suitable dosage to supply feedlot lambs. Three roughage:concentrate ratios (50:50, 40:60, and 20:80) and six dosages of garlic and rosemary essential oils (0.0, 0.10, 0.25, 1.0, 1.50, and 2.0 g L−1) were tested. Kinetic parameters for carbohydrate breakdown were estimated using a semi-automated in vitro gas production technique. Ruminal degradation parameters were subjected to variance analysis and then regression analysis at a 5% significance level. There was no interaction between the roughage:concentrate ratios and the dosage of rosemary essential oil. The roughage:concentrate ratios in diets with rosemary oil affected the non-fiber carbohydrate degradation rate (Kdnfc), colonization time (L), gas volume and breakdown rate from the degradation of fiber carbohydrates (Vfc and Kdfc, respectively), and final gas volume of both fiber and non-fiber carbohydrates (Vfinal). Rosemary dosages affected Vnfc and Vfc, which presented a quadratic response with a peak at 0.71 g L−1 and a nip at 1.17 g L−1, respectively. Bacterial colonization time was quadratic, reaching a maximum value at 1.18 g L−1. Vfinal showed a decreasing linear trend, such that each gram of rosemary essential oil added to the diet could reduce gas production by 30.312 mL. Therefore, rosemary essential oil has an effect on carbohydrate degradation kinetics. There was no interaction between roughage:concentrate ratios and different garlic oil dosages, except for colonization time. Roughage:concentrate ratios with garlic oil had affected the Vnfc, Kdnfc, and L. Garlic oil dosages affected Vfc and Vfinal in a quadratic manner, with the lowest values of gas production at 1.35 and 1.54 g L−1, respectively. L was affected by the garlic oil dosage and roughage:concentrate ratios in a decreasing linear trend for a 50:50 ratio and quadratic response for a 40:60 ratio, peaking at 0.14 g L−1. Based on these in vitro results, a ruminal content of 1.0 g L−1 is recommended for both rosemary and garlic essential oils.

The Potential Benefits of Using Garlic Oil and Its Active Constituent, Dially Disulphide, in Combination With Carvedilol in Ameliorating Isoprenaline-Induced Cardiac Damage in Rats

Garlic oil and its primary component, diallyl disulphide (DADS), were tested in rats with isoprenaline (ISO) induced myocardial infarction for cardioprotective benefits when combined with carvedilol. Garlic oil (GO) was administered to rats (Sprague-dawley strain) at two doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight, whereas DADS was given in two doses of 4.47 and 8.94 mg/kg, respectively. The animals were given oral doses of garlic oil and DADS on alternate days for 3 weeks, either alone or in combination with carvedilol (2 mg/kg). Cardiac injury was done by administering two doses of isoprenaline (150 mg/kg, sc) to all treated groups except the first, which served as a control. Biomarkers of cardiac injury and histological investigations were studied for their potential in reducing ISO-induced myocardial damage. Animals pretreated with GO, DADS, and carvedilol had significantly (p &lt; 0.01) lowered heart weight and heart to body weight ratio. In rats treated with carvedilol plus high dosages of garlic oil (100 mg/kg, p.o) and DADS (8.94 mg/kg, p.o) compared to the ISO control and carvedilol group, the activities of SOD and Catalase were enhanced in cardiac tissue homogenate. When compared to ISO control and carvedilol group, the activities of LDH and CK-MB were elevated in heart tissue homogenate with a simultaneous reduction in their serum levels in animals treated with a combination of carvedilol with high doses of garlic oil (100 mg/kg, p.o) and DADS (8.94 mg/kg, p.o). Overall, combining garlic oil or DADS with carvedilol improved the cardioprotective effect of carvedilol and protected rats from ISO-induced myocardial infarction. However, more research is needed to establish the mechanism of garlic oil and DADS interaction with carvedilol.