Pharmaceutical Importance of Alium sativum L.4. Antifungal Effect

Overview

The recent decades saw an increase in the number of systemic fungal diseases and improvementsin the identification of their causative agents. There has been an intensive search for new drugswhich would be more effective and less toxic than those already in use. From this aspect, attentionhas been paid also to garlic – its extracts and individual components, i.e., allicin, ajoen, polysulfides,essential oil. New experimental knowledge confirms a significant antifungal activity of sulfurouscompounds of garlic. The paper also mentions a possible use of employing garlic extracts or essentialoils in food industry as an alternative way of protection of foodstuffs from contamination with fungi.

Key words:
Alium sativum – antifungal effect – extracts – isolates – essential oils