Antimicrobial Properties of Garlic and Herbs - Research Paper Example

Antimicrobial Properties of Garlic and Herbs Abstract The current research aims to determine possible antimicrobial properties of garlic and herbs. By delving into authoritative sources of information and a review of related literature, the discourse would hereby present relevant findings pertinent to antimicrobial properties divulged. Accordingly, garlic was noted to have been regarded in various studies as a major antimicrobial agent with potentials of inhibiting identified microorganisms such as “Salmonella typhymurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant SD. Aureus(MRSA), Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, mycotoxigenic Aspergillus, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae” (Lai & Roy, 2004, p. 1452). Other herbs, especially oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme, among others, were also found to inhibit various microorganisms and exhibit potentials for anticancer medications. There have been vast amounts of studies that delve into examining the antimicrobial properties of plants and plant extracts. To set things in the proper perspectives, it is deemed crucial to accurately define the term ‘antimicrobial’. According to Maartens, Swart, Pohl, & Kock (2011), “antimicrobials are the broad classes of substances acting against microorganisms” (p. 3927). Their study aimed to distinguish the meaning of the terms antimicrobials, as contrasted to chemotherapeutics or antibiotics, which reportedly share confusing and parallel properties. As disclosed, the term antimicrobial was defined in microbiology textbooks as “being “harmful to microorganisms by either killing or inhibiting growth”. Likewise, an “antimicrobial agent” is “a chemical that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms”” (Maartens, Swart, Pohl, & Kock, 2011, p. 3297). For the purpose of the current study, one aims to determine possible antimicrobial properties of garlic and herbs. By delving into authoritative sources of information and a review of related literature, the discourse would hereby present relevant findings pertinent to antimicrobial properties that were divulged. Plants as Antimicrobial Agents The studies written by Cowan (1999) and Tagoe, Baidoo, Dadzie, Kangah, & Nyarko (2010) have focused on plants as antimicrobial agents. Cowan (1999) effectively presented tabular illustration of plants containing antimicrobial activity and major classes of antimicrobial compounds from plants. Garlic, has been specifically identified and included in the list of plants containing antimicrobial activity with allicin and ajoene, as the compound; sulfoxide and sulfated terpenoids, as its class; general activity explicitly denoting “activity against multiple types of microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, fungi, and protozoa), and “bacteria” denotes activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria” (Cowan: Table 1, 1999) and no indicated relative toxicity. Antimicrobial Properties of Garlic On the other hand, the study written by Tagoe, et.al. (2010) tested the antimicrobial properties of garlic with ginger and lime, specifically on Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Cladosporium herbarum, all fungal species. In this study, the allicin compound identified to be present in garlic was noted to “be effective as an antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-parasitic agent” (Reuter, Koch, & Lawson, 1996, pp. 135-212; cited in Tagoe, Baidoo, Dadzie, Kangah, & Nyarko, 2010). This was also corroborated by Lai & Roy (2004) who emphasized that the allicin compound exhibits “antimicrobial activity against a wide range of Gram-negative & Gram-positive bacteria including multidrug–resistant enterotoxicogenic strains of E. coli” (p. 1453). In a tabular presentation of common herbs and spices and their inhibitory effects on microorganisms, Lai & Roy (2004) explicitly detailed the microorganisms where garlic has been found to effectively inhibit, to wit: “Salmonella typhymurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant SD. Aureus(MRSA), Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, mycotoxigenic Aspergillus, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae” (p. 1452). In another research conducted and written by Marsh and Arriola (2009), the authors tested antimicrobial properties of salsa components, particularly “tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeño were tested for antimicrobial properties against a representative fungus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the common food spoilage bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli” (Marsh & Arriola: Abstract, 2009, par. 1). The results indicated that of all the salsa components, garlic “consistently inhibits all four of the organisms against which it is tested, while the other salsa components demonstrate limited inhibition, if any, against selected organisms” (Marsh & Arriola: Discussion, 2009, par. 1). Antimicrobial Properties of Herbs Authors Lai and Roi (2004) examined the antimicrobial properties of herbs and indicated that herbs and spices were regarded as effective in inhibiting specifically identified microorganisms. From among the herbs that were enumerated and reviewed, some of the noted findings included saffron as a potential anti-cancer drug; “thymoquinone, a bioactive compound identified in the oil of black cumin (Nigella sativa), has a great therapeutic potential as an antimicrobial and anticancer agent” (Lai & Roy, 2004, p. 1458); and curcumin, which likewise shows high potentials for the development of anticancer medications. The tabular presentation of Lai & Roi (2004) highlights 11 herbs and spices (allspice, basil, black cumin, cinnamon, clove, garlic, mustard, oregano, rosemary, thyme and sage) and their inhibitory effects on various microorganisms. Garlic, which was regarded in this discourse as a spice, consistently emerged as a major antimicrobial agent, with allicin and diallyldisulfide as the active phytochemicals and a total of 173 phytochemicals identified (Lai & Roy, 2004). This was only surpassed by rosemary, classified as an herb, in terms of containing 211phytochemicals with the identified active phytochemicals such as carnosol, pinene, camphene, and borneol (Lai & Roy, 2004). Conclusion The current research effectively achieved its aim of determining the possible antimicrobial properties of garlic and herbs through the support of various authoritative sources of information and from a review of related literature. The findings revealed that garlic is a major antimicrobial agent with general activity in inhibiting microorganisms that were specifically identified. Likewise, various herbs, such as oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme, and the potentials for developing anticancer drugs through the agents in saffron, thymoquinone, and curcumin have proven that plants and plant extracts continue to be effective sources of substances that act against the growth of vast ranges of microorganisms. References Cowan, M. (1999, October). Plant Products as Antimicrobial Agents. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Clinical Microbiology Reviews: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88925/ Lai, P., & Roy, J. (2004). Antimicrobial and Chemopreventive Properties of Herbs and Spices. Current Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 11, 1451-1460. Maartens, M., Swart, C., Pohl, C., & Kock, L. (2011). Antimicrobials, chemotherapeutics or antibiotics? Scientific Research and Essays, Vol. 6, No. 19, 3927-3929. Marsh, T., & Arriola, P. (2009). The Science of Salsa: Antimicrobial Properties of Salsa Components to Learn Scientific Methodology. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education: http://jmbe.asm.org/index.php/jmbe/article/view/93/html_1 Reuter, H., K. H., & Lawson, D. (1996). Therapeutic effects and applications of garlic and its preparations. . In K. H.P., & L. D., Garlic: The Science and Therapeutic applications of Allium sativum L. and Related species (pp. 135-212). Tagoe, D., Baidoo, S., Dadzie, I., Kangah, V., & Nyarko, H. (2010). A Comparison Of The Antimicrobial (Antifungal) Properties Of Garlic, Ginger And Lime On Aspergillus Flavus, Aspergillus Niger And Cladosporium Herbarum Using Organic And Water Base Extraction Methods. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from The Internet Journal of Tropical Medicine: http://www.ispub.com/journal/the-internet-journal-of-tropical-medicine/volume-7-number-1/a-comparison-of-the-antimicrobial-antifungal-properties-of-garlic-ginger-and-lime-on-aspergillus-flavus-aspergillus-niger-and-cladosporium-herbarum-using-organic-and- Read More