Reduction of urinary mutagen excretion in rats fed garlic

Naturally occurring substances of plant origin are known to possess antimutagenic potential. Garlic (Allium sativum) was fed to rats in dried powdered form at 0.1%, 0.5% and 1% concentrations in their diet for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment benzo[a]pyrene (1 mg/rat) was injected intraperitoneally and 24-h urine was collected from the rats. Urinary mutagens were quantitated by the Salmonella typhimurium assay. There was a significant reduction in the excretion of urinary mutagens by carcinogen-exposed rats fed garlic. Further, there was a stimulation in the activities of liver cytosolic glutathione-S-transferase and liver and lung quinone reductases. The study suggested that the antimutagenic potential of garlic may be mediated through induction of detoxification enzymes in target tissues.