Antigenotoxic effect of allicin against estradiol-17beta-induced genotoxic damage in cultured mammalian cells.

Antigenotoxic activity of allicin, one of the sulphur compounds of garlic (Allium sativum) which possesses antioxidant and thiol disulphide exchange activity, was studied against estradiol-17beta-induced genotoxic damage using chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) as parameters. Approximately 10, 20 and 40 microM of estradiol-17beta was tested for its genotoxic effect in the presence of metabolic activation and was found to be genotoxic at 20 and 40 microM. Approximately 20 microM of estradiol-17beta was treated along with 5, 10 and 15 microM of allicin, separately, in the presence of metabolic activation. Similar treatments were given with 40 microM of estradiol-17beta. Treatments along with allicin result in the reduction of CAs and SCEs, suggesting its anti-genotoxic activity in human lymphocytes in vitro against estradiol-17beta-induced genotoxic damage.