Garlic (Allium sativum) - A nutritive and health promoting medicinal plant - An overview

Title : Garlic (Allium sativum) - A nutritive and health promoting medicinal plant - An overview

Abstract:

Garlic (Allium sativum), a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus Allium, is a native of south and central Asian countries. It has been used since long as a seasoning, food flavoring, traditional herbal medicine, and a promising environmental friendly pesticide. These remarkable properties of Garlic (Allium sativum) can be attributed to several sulfur-containing chemical compounds ingeniously packaged in this plant by nature. Several phytonutrients present in garlic have been found effective in the treatment and prevention of diseases such as obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract. Garlic's properties result from the combination of various biologically active substances including enzymes such as alliinase, sulfur-containing compounds such as alliin, and enzymatically produced allicin. This paper presents an overview of phytochemical composition, medicinal uses, and the toxic effects of garlic (Allium sativum).

Audience Take Away:

• The audience will learn from this lecture about the phytochemical composition of Garlic (Allium sativum), its medicinal uses to cure or prevent various diseases including hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Beside these the audience will also learn about the possible harmful effects of garlic (Allium sativum) on the human body.

Biography:

Om Prakash Yadav did Ph.D. in Chemistry from Panjab University, Chandigarh (India), and worked as a Professor of Chemistry at CCS Haryana Agricultural University (1975-2003) in India, and then as a Professor of Physical Chemistry at Haramaya University, Ethiopia (2008-2014). Prof. Yadav was awarded the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Fellowship in 1996. He then worked as Visiting Professor in 2000 at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg (Sweden). Prof. Yadav has guided 8 Ph.Ds and published about 100 research papers at various International Journals. Dr.Yadav is member of several Academic/Scientific organizations and is also working at Editorial Boards of a number of International Scientific Journals.