A recent
research reveals a potent effect for garlic against the
bacteria Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of intestinal illness
caused by eating undercooked poultry or foods that have been contaminated
during poultry preparation. "Campylobacter is simply the most common
bacterial cause of food-borne illness in the United
States and probably the world," explained coauthor
Michael Konkel of Washington State University 's
College of Veterinary Medicine
The researchers
compared the effects of diallyl sulfide (see structure), a
compound that occurs in garlic, and the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and
erythromycin on biofilms formed by Campylobacter jejuni. Biofilms are
colonies of bacteria protected by a film that renders them a thousand times more
resistant to antibiotics than free cells. Cell death following the
administration of diallyl sulfide occurred at a concentration of resveratrol
that was 100-fold less than that which was effective for either antibiotic, and
often took less time to work. The team found that diallyl sulfide combined with
a sulfur-containing enzyme, which altered the cells' function and metabolism.
Researchers
conclude that, diallyl sulphide elicits strong antimicrobial activity against
planktonic and sessile C. jejuni and may have applications for
reducing the prevalence of this microbe in foods, biofilm reduction and,
potentially, as an alternative chemotherapeutic agent for multidrug-resistant
bacterial strains.
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