A Clove of Garlic to beat tuberculosis
Abantika Ghosh TNN
New Delhi: The unassuming garlic in your kitchen could be ’s saviour from multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). Researchers at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have found that allicin — a natural anti-oxidant present in garlic — can prevent replication of the MDR TB bacterium inside the human body. The findings were recently published in the journal of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies — FEBS Letters. Now there is increasing talk worldwide of allicin being the answer to not just TB but to drug resistant forms of all diseases. Though the capsules would need to be enteric coated because the stomach acid is known to quickly destroy allicin. Najmul Islam, reader at the department of biochemistry in J N Medical College, AMU, toldTimesCity: ‘‘Garlic contains a highly unstable compound called allin and an enzyme called allinase is extracted when garlic is crushed or chewed. Under the effect of allinase, allin is converted to allicin, a potent antioxidant that prevents formation of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species inside the body.’’ The topic is the Phd thesis of an AMU research fellow Nazarul Hasan. The free radicals, he explained, are essential for the replication of any bacterium inside the body. ‘‘We chose the MDR TB bacteria and introduced allicin into blood cells infected with it. The bacteria stopped replicating. Allicin has also been found to increase the activity of an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase that decreases the production of reactive oxygen species,’’ Islam said. ’s rising MDR TB burden has been a matter of concern of national and international health authorities for some years now. An estimated 500,000 Indians die of TB every year, of which some 3% are victims of MDR TB. Internationally, the TB death toll is estimated to be two to three million per year. Multidrug resistant TB is resistant to more than two of the primary antibiotics used for treatment of TB. The most common reason for its genesis, doctors say, is the common practice of patients to start intake of an antibiotic but not finish its full course so that the bacterium which is exposed to the chemical but not killed gets enough time to mutate to a variety which is resistant to that particular chemical. Islam added: ‘‘The advantages of allicin are many. It does not require sophisticated storage and delivery systems and thus the possibility of losing its potency in any storage condition and time in comparison to known medicine for TB is nil. It is easily available and costs less with no known side effects.’’ Researchers at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have found that allicin — a natural anti-oxidant present in garlic — can prevent replication of the MDR TB bacterium inside the human body. The findings were recently published in the journal of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies — FEBS Letters. Now there is increasing talk worldwide of allicin being the answer to not just TB but to drug resistant forms of all diseases. Though the capsules would need to be enteric coated because the stomach acid is known to quickly destroy allicin. Najmul Islam, reader at the department of biochemistry in J N Medical College, AMU, told : ‘‘Garlic contains a highly unstable compound called allin and an enzyme called allinase is extracted when garlic is crushed or chewed. Under the effect of allinase, allin is converted to allicin, a potent anti The free radicals, he explained, are essential for the replication of any bacterium inside the body. ‘‘We chose the MDR TB bacteria and introduced allicin into blood cells infected with it. The bacteria stopped replicating. Allicin has also been found to increase the activity of an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase that de ’s rising MDR TB burden has been a matter of concern of national and international health authorities for some years now. An estimated 500,000 Indians die of TB every year, of which some 3% are victims of MDR TB. Internationally, the TB death toll is estimated to be two to three million per year. Multidrug resistant TB is resistant to more than two of the primary antibiotics used for treatment of TB. The most common reason for its genesis, doctors say, is the common practice of patients to start intake of an antibiotic but not finish its full course so that the bacterium which is exposed to the chemical but not killed gets enough time to mutate to a variety which is resistant to that particular chemical. Islam added: ‘‘The advantages of allicin are many. It does not require sophisticated storage and delivery systems and thus the possibility of losing its potency in any storage condition and time in comparison to known medicine for TB is nil. It is easily available and costs less with no known side effects.’’
