# Allicin, the Odor of Freshly Crushed Garlic: A Review of Recent Progress in Understanding Allicin’s Effects on Cells

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how allicin, a compound in crushed garlic, affects cells by reacting with thiols and altering cellular processes.

## Contribution

The paper provides an updated summary of allicin's mechanisms of action in both bacterial and eukaryotic cells.

## Key findings

- Allicin reacts with thiols like glutathione and bacillithiol in cells, altering redox balance.
- At high doses, allicin induces cell death, while at low doses it modulates cellular signaling.
- Allicin shows antimicrobial activity and affects redox-sensitive proteins in eukaryotes and bacteria.

## Abstract

The volatile organic sulfur compound allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate) is produced as a defense substance when garlic (Allium sativum) tissues are damaged, for example by the activities of pathogens or pests. Allicin gives crushed garlic its characteristic odor, is membrane permeable and readily taken up by exposed cells. It is a reactive thiol-trapping sulfur compound that S-thioallylates accessible cysteine residues in proteins and low molecular weight thiols including the cellular redox buffer glutathione (GSH) in eukaryotes and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as bacillithiol (BSH) in Gram-positive firmicutes. Allicin shows dose-dependent antimicrobial activity. At higher doses in eukaryotes allicin can induce apoptosis or necrosis, whereas lower, biocompatible amounts can modulate the activity of redox-sensitive proteins and affect cellular signaling. This review summarizes our current knowledge of how bacterial and eukaryotic cells are specifically affected by, and respond to, allicin.