Project Details:

Chemical Characterization of Garlic Preparations

Project No.:650-87-96
Start date:1996-01-01
End date:1998-12-31
Division:Chemistry and the Environment Division
Objective:

To establish standardized procedures for the characterization of garlic and its preparation that can be used to relate the composition of these preparations to their biological activities. Rationale: There is mounting evidence, particularly epidemiologic data, that garlic has beneficial activity in the prevention of cancer and other diseases. However, the chemistry of garlic is extremely complex, and some of the original studies of the chemical components of garlic have been shown to be in error. Commercial preparations of garlic vary in chemical composition resulting from different methods of processing. This is alarming since there are a number of on-going and planned human studies of the effectiveness of garlic preparations, which will all suffer from the lack of uniform procedures for the characterization of the test materials. Approach: A working group of experts on the composition of garlic will be formed to develop, and publish, a concensus document on the constituents of garlic that should be determined and procedures for their analysis. This document may include recommendations for additional work, including further evaluation such as collaborative studies. Such follow-up activities could be the subject of future IUPAC projects.

Description:
No description available.
Progress:
Drs Calvey (FDA) and Block (State University of New York at Albany)are continuing work on a review of garlic chemistry and methods of analysis.This should be ready submission for submission by December 1997. Thecommission leadership strongly supports deadline extension of one yearfor this project, i.e. until 1998.
No progress made in 1998-1999 - project abandoned