Garlic platelet aggregation

Srivastava KC. (1984). Aqueous extracts of onion, garlic and ginger inhibit platelet aggregation and alter arachidonic acid metabolism. Biomed Biochim Acta. 43(8-9) S335-46. 

Garlic clearly has antithrombotic properties. Ajoene (an allicin metabolite) and methyl allyl trisulfide inhibit platelet aggregation. Garlic may promote vasodilation by relaxing smooth muscle, and it may reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. 

Legnani C, Frascaro M, Guazzaloca G, Ludovici S, Cesarano G, Coccheri G. Effects of a dried garlic preparation on fibrinolysis and platelet aggregation in healthy subjects. Arzneimittel Forsch 1993 43 119-122. 

Bordia A. Effect of garlic on platelet aggregation in vitro. Atherosclerosis 1978 30 355-360. 

Lawson LD, Ranson DK, Hughes BG. Inhibition of whole blood platelet-aggregation by compounds in garlic extracts and commercial garlic products. Thromb Res 1992 65 141-156. 

Garlic is used for a variety of reasons, and some of the attributes associated with it, e.g. for cancer prevention, or to reduce heart attacks, may not be substantiated. Other properties such as antimicrobial activity, effects on lipid metabolism, and platelet aggregation inhibitory action have been demonstrated. Ajoene has been shown to be a potent antithrombotic agent through inhibition of platelet aggregation. 

The effects of onion and garlic on eicosanoid metabolism have mainly been studied by observing the effects of garlic and onion preparations on platelet aggregation and subsequent eicosanoid synthesis. 

The exact mechanism by which garlic oil may suppress Fe-NTA-mediated renal damage is not known. However, onion and garlic extracts have been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation and prostaglandin synthesis. 

Rahman, K. and Billington, D. 2000. Dietary supplementation with aged garlic extract inhibits ADP-induced platelet aggregation in humans. J. Nutr. 130, 2662-2665. 

Another simple elimination reaction on the thiosulfinate ester makes another molecule of the sulfenic acid and a highly unstable unsaturated thioaldehyde, which promptly dimerizes to give a thioacetal found in garlic as a potent platelet aggregation inhibitor. 

Garlic has well-documented effects on platelet aggregation (7). 

Makheja AN, Vanderhoek JY, Bailey JM. Inhibition of platelet aggregation and thromboxane synthesis by onion and garlic. Lancet 1979 1 781. 

Ali M, Bordia T, Mustafa T.Effect of raw versus boiled aqueous extract of garlic and onion on platelet aggregation. Prostagland Leukot Essen Fatty Acids 1999 60(1) 43— 47. 

Srivastava KC. Effects of aqueous extracts of onion, garlic, and ginger on platelet aggregation and metabolism of arachidonic acid in the blood vascular system in vitro study. Prostagland Leukotr Med 1984 13 227-235. 

Morris J, Bure V, Mori T, et al. Effects of garlic extract on platelet aggregation a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study. Clin Exper Pharm Phys 1995 22 414 U7. 

Kiesewetter H, Jung E, Jung EM, et al. Effect of garlic on platelet aggregation in patients with increased risk of juvenile ischaemic attack. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1993 43 333-336. 

The relevance of platelet aggregation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is well documented (Koscielny et al., 1998). The ability of garlic and its metabolites to prevent blood coagulation and platelet aggregation has been well established in numerous in vitro and in vivo (animals and humans) studies (Lawson et al., 1992 Han et al., 1995). 

A number of garlic preparations have been used to study the effect of garlic on platelet aggregation (Lawson et al., 1992). It is thought that the effects of these commercial preparations are most likely attributable to allicin, ajoenes, vinyl dithiins... 

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