Anti-atherogenic effects of an egg yolk-enriched garlic supplement.

It has been suggested that oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) plays an important role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. In the present study, we determined the anti-atherogenic effects of egg yolk-enriched garlic powder (EGP), which has been used as a traditional health-promoting food in southern Japan since ancient times, on LDL oxidation and oxidant stress-induced cell injury models. We confirmed that EGP inhibits copper-induced LDL oxidation in a dose-dependent manner. We also observed that pretreatment of EGP significantly suppressed the production of peroxides in HL60 cells and protected endothelial cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced cell injury. These findings might, in part, be ascribed to the biodistribution of garlic compounds and egg yolk interaction, and suggest that EGP might be useful in the prevention of atherosclerosis.