Affiliations: Department of Nutrition and Physiology, Nihon
University Graduate School of Applied Life Sciences, Nihon University College
of Bioresource Sciences, Kanagawa, Japan
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Taiichiro Seki, Department of
Nutrition and Physiology, Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences,
1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-8510, Japan. Tel./Fax: +81 466 84 3949;
E-mail: tseki@brs.nihon-u.ac.jp
Abstract: Diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl
trisulfide (DATS) are principal constituents of garlic oil. We studied the
effect of these sulfides on the phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes, and on the
rat model of acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride
(CCl_{4}). A highly purified form of each sulfide (more than
99% purity) was administered i.p. to rats at a concentration of 10 or
100 μmol/kg body weight for 14 consecutive days. DATS
(10 μmol/kg) and DADS at a 10-fold higher dose
(100 μmol/kg) significantly increased the activities of
glutathione S-transferase (GST) and quinone reductase (QR); whereas DAS did
not. In the CCl_{4}-induced acute liver injury model of
rats, DATS (10 μmol/kg) significantly suppressed the
increase in plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase
(AST) activities. In conclusion, hepatic phase II enzymes were induced strongly
by the trisulfide and weakly by the disulfide, but not by DAS. DATS
significantly reduced the liver injury caused by CCl_{4}.
DATS may be one of the important factors in garlic oil that protects our body
against the injury caused by radical molecules.
