Beneficial effects of garlic-vinegar extract against some of tobacco smoking toxicities

Abstract EN

Background : Cigarette smoking has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases including coronary heart disease, pulmonary disease, and neoplastic disorders.

Free radical-mediated oxidative stress is believed to play a central role in tobacco smoke toxicity.

Many medicinal plants including Allium sativum (garlic) contain large amounts of antioxidants that can scavenge many substances which are responsible for oxidative stress-induced diseases.

This study was performed to investigate the protective effect of garlic vinegar extract against some of smoking toxicities.

Materials and Methods : Two groups of smoker volunteers (25 subjects in each) were enrolled in this study, one group was treated with garlic-vinegar extract (200 gm / 0.5 L) for 6 months.

Blood samples were withdrawn to measure the levels of haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), also white blood cell (WBC), platelets count and the concentration of the antioxidant like reduced glutathione (GSH) and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme.

Also the levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol were estimated.

Biochemical parameters were assayed using standard methods.

Results in group one were compared to that found in group two (25 smoker volunteers who were left untreated with garlic-vinegar extract) and in a group of healthy non smoker volunteers (25 subjects).

Results : The garlic-vinegar extract extreme significantly lowered (P < 0.001) the Hb and PCV levels, while it insignificantly (P > 0.05) elevated the MCHC and WBC values.

It also caused insignificant (P > 0.05) increase in the platelets count.

Regarding the effect of garlic-vinegar extract on antioxidants, it caused extreme significant increase (P < 0.001) in the serum levels of GSH and SOD level.

The serum levels of TG, TC, LDL and VLDL were extremely significantly (P < 0.001) decreased by garlic-vinegar extract as compared to untreated group, while HDL level was extremely significantly (P < 0.001) increased by garlic-vinegar extract as compared to untreated group.

Conclusion : Garlic-vinegar extract has good protective activities against some of smoking induced toxicities.