Methyl allyl trisulfide, garlic constituent

Known active constituents of garlic (there are at least 35 other constituents whose actions are unknown) ajoene, allicin, aliin, allixin, allyl mercaptan, allyl methyl thiosulfmate, allyl methyl trisulfide, allyl propyl disulfide, diallyl disulfide, diallyl hepta sulfide, diallyl hexa sulfide, diallyl penta sulfide, diallyl sulfide, diallyl tetra sulfide, diallyl tri sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, dirpopyl disulfide, methyl ajoene, methyl allyl thiosulfmate, propyline sulfide, 2-vinyl-4H-l, 3-tithiin, 3-vinyl-4H-1, 2dithiin, S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide, S-allyl mercapto, cysteine. 

Various organic sulfides present in Allium have been found to have anticar-cinogenic activity. For example, allyl sulfide, a constituent of garlic oil, inhibited colon cancer in mice exposed to 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, and allyl methyl trisulfide, allyl methyl disulfide, aUyl trisulfide, and allyl sulfide all inhibited benzo[a]pyrene-induced neoplasma of the forestomach and lung in female mice (55). Lam et al. (Chapter 22) investigated the ability of 2-n-butyl thiophene, a constituent of roast beef aroma, to inhibit chemically induced carcinogenesis in three different tumor systems. This compound was found to be effective in the forestomach, lung, and colon models. 

Garlic oil also exhibits an antagonistic effect on benzo[a]pyrene by inhibiting benzo[a]pyrene-induced skin carcinogenesis in Swiss mice during the initiation phase (Sadhana et al. 1988). A primary constituent of garlic oil. allyl methyl trisulfide (ATM), has also demonstrated an inhibitory effect on benzo[a]pyrene induced neoplasia of the forestomach in mice (Sparnins et al. 1986). 

Steam distillation of garlic produces an oil that also has several different allyl sulfur constituents such garlic oils can contain about diallyl disulfide (DADS, -26%), diallyl trisulfide (DATS, 19%), allyl methyl trisulfide (15%), allyl methyl disulfide (13%), diallyl tetrasulfide (8%), allyl methyl tetrasulfide (6%), dimethyl pentasulfide (4%), dimethyl trisulfide (3%), and dimethyl hexasulfide (1%). The oil derived from macerated garlic contains vinyldithiins and ajoenes. Storage of garlic in ethanol for several months... 

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