[Pharmaceutical significance of Allium sativum L. 4. Antifungal effects]

The recent decades saw an increase in the number of systemic fungal diseases and improvements in the identification of their causative agents. There has been an intensive search for new drugs which would be more effective and less toxic than those already in use. From this aspect, attention has 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 sulfurous compounds of garlic. The paper also mentions a possible use of employing garlic extracts or essential oils in food industry as an alternative way of protection of foodstuffs from contamination with fungi.