Garlic (Allium sativum L.): Its Chemistry, Nutritional Composition, Toxicity, and Anticancer Properties.

The current review discuss the chemistry, nutritional composition, toxicity, and biological functions of garlic and its bioactive compounds against various types of cancers via different anticancer mechanisms. Several scientific documents were found in reliable literature and searched in databases viz Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Research Gate were carried out using keywords such as "garlic", "garlic bioactive compounds", "anticancer mechanisms of garlic", "nutritional composition of garlic", and others. Garlic contains several phytoconstituents with activities against cancer, and compounds such as diallyl trisulfide (DATS), allicin, and diallyl disulfide (DADS), diallyl sulfide (DAS), and allyl mercaptan (AM). The influence of numerous garlic- derived products, phytochemicals, and nanoformulations on the liver, oral, prostate, breast, gastric, colorectal, skin, and pancreatic cancers has been studied. Based on our search, the bioactive molecules in garlic were found to inhibit the various phases of cancer. Moreover, the compounds in this plant also abrogate the peroxidation of lipids, activity of nitric oxide synthase, epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), protein kinase C, and regulate cell cycle and survival signaling cascades. Hence, garlic and its bioactive molecules exhibit the aforementioned mechanistic actions, and thus, they could be used to inhibit the induction, development, and progression of cancer. The review describes the nutritional composition of garlic, its bioactive molecules, and nanoformulations against various types of cancers, as well as the potential for developing these agents as antitumor drugs.

Green synthesis, in vivo and in vitro pharmacological studies of Tamarindus indica based gold nanoparticles.

The current investigation aims to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from aqueous extract of Tamarindus indica and to evaluate the in vitro anti-bacterial and in vivo sedative and anelgescic activities of crude extract as well as synthesized AuNPs. Several methods have been reported to synthesize AuNPs; however, most of them were not ecofriendly. In the present study, the green synthesis of AuNPs has been carried out. Using the green synthesis method, AuNPs of T. indica were synthesized at room temperature (25 °C) by mixing 5 mL of HAuCl4 (1 mM) with 1 mL of T. indica seed extract solution. This extract solution was prepared by taking 5 gm dry seeds in 100 mL of double deionized water with continuous stirring for up to 24 h at 80 °C. The stability of AuNPs was confirmed with the help of relevant experimental techniques including ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis) showing maximum absorbance at 535-540 nm, Fourier transform infrared showing a broad signal at 3464 cm-1 which can be attributed to either amide or hydroxyl functionalities and atomic force microscopy analysis showed that the biomaterial surrounding AuNPs was agglomerated which proves the formation of discrete nanostructutres. These AuNPs have been evaluated for their antibacterial potential. The results revealed good antibacterial activity of the samples against. Klebsiella pneumonia, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis with 10-12 mm zone of inhibition range. The AuNPs were also found stable at high temperature, over a range of pH and in 1 mM salt solution. Moreover, the crude extract and respective AuNPs also exhibited interesting sedative and analgesic activities. Hence, we focused on phytochemicals-mediated synthesis of AuNPs considered as greatest attention in the treatment of anti-bacterial, analgesic, and sedative.