Affiliations: Department of Biochemical and Agricultural Chemistry,
Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa,
Kanagawa 252-8510, Japan. Tel.: +81 466 84 3948; Fax: +81 466 84 3949; E-mail:
ariga@brs.nihon-u.ac.jp | Department of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University
College of Bioresource Sciences, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-8510,
Japan | Faculty of Nutrition, Kobe-Gakuin University, 518
Arise Ikawadani-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe 651-0021, Japan
Abstract: The antiplatelet activity of methyl allyltrisulfide (MATS), a
component commonly present in steam-distilled garlic oil, has been demonstrated
by the authors. MATS inhibits arachidonic acid cascade at the reaction site
with PGH synthase. However, this enzyme catalyzes two successive reactions,
from arachidonic acid to PGG_2, and from
PGG_2 to PGH_2. The present study
revealed that MATS inhibited the latter reaction. In addition, our recent
findings that to a promyelocytic leukemia cell HL60, Allium oils shows marked
anti-neoplastic effects representing both growth suppression and
differentiation activities are described. The garlic oil and onion oil showed
almost equal ability in inducing the proliferation, which measured either by
nitroblue-tetrazolium reducing activity assay or by flow cytometry for
detecting CD11b expression. The combination use of one of these oils with
all-trans retinoic acid or with dimethyl sulfoxide lead to the marked
differentiation of the cells, and their effects were estimated to be
synergistic.
