Garlic & the Prevention of Disease

Over the past decade there has been a number of studies involving garlic and fish food and the anecdotal evidence with regards to feeding fish garlic (Allium Sativum) to rid them of parasites appeared to be quite strong.

Now there is even more evidence to support these earlier findings.

Modern research has attributed garlic's healing powers to hundreds of volatile sulfur compounds including allicin, alliin, cycroalliin, and diallyldisulphide.

It's not just about allicin, which is something that some hobbysists that discuss this topic have apparently failed to understand.

"Contrary to the popular myth that a garlic product must contain allicin to be beneficial, allicin has not been conclusively proven to be responsible for garlic's known health benefits. Most of the garlic or garlic products that have been based to demonstrate garlic health effects do not contain significant amounts of allicin.To date, well over 100 compounds have been identified in garlic preparations.

Though individual compounds, such as S-allyl cysteine, have shown activity in studies and are absorbed by the body, it is likely that a synergism of various compounds provide the benefits of garlic. This is in agreement with Dr. Koch, a renowned Austrian scientist who stated that the activity of various sulfur compounds could not alone be responsible for the benefits of garlic and fixation on a single group of components can lead to mistakes and wrong conclusions."

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---- First World Congress on the Health Significance of Garlic and Garlic Constituents, Washington, D.C., Aug. 1990.




While there is still lots to learn on this subject, below is some of what we currently know.



A. M. Shalaby et al. EFFECTS OF GARLIC (Allium sativum) AND CHLORAMPHENICOL ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AND SURVIVAL OF NILE TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus).

Fish Hatchery and Reproductive Physiology Department, Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research, Abbassa, Abo-Hammad, Sharkia, Egypt

J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis., 2006, 12, 2, p.196

In this particular study the inclusion of garlic at a rate of 3% has shown to increase the overall digestibilty of protein, carbohydrates, and fat (ie; better growth), as well as to lower the total bacteria count within the intestine, muscles, and water column.


That document is a very long read, in the end the authors state:

"Finally, from the obtained results it could be recommended that garlic (Allium Sativum) may be used as a growth promoter and antibiotic for the treatment or prevention of diseases and for enhancing fish tolerance to environmental stress (62); therefore garlic powder should be added to the diet of freshwater fish."

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And another recent study ..........


Effect of Allium sativum on the immunity and survival of Labeo rohita infected with Aeromonas hydrophila S. Sahu, B. K. Das, B. K. Mishra, J. Pradhan and N. Sarangi

Aquatic Animal Health Division, Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Kausalyaganga, Bhubaneswar, India

Journal of Applied Ichthyology, Volume 23 Issue 1, Pages 80 - 86

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2006.00785.x/abstract

Summary


The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary dosages of garlic on the immune response and disease resistance against infections due to the opportunistic pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila in Labeo rohita fingerlings. Garlic, Allium sativum, was incorporated into the diets (0%, 0.1%, 0.5% and 1.0%) of rohu, L. rohita fingerlings (10 ± 2 g). Every 20 days, different biochemical (serum total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin : globulin ratio, blood glucose), haematological (WBC, RBC and haemoglobin content) and immunological (superoxide anion production, lysozyme activity and serum bactericidal activity) parameters were evaluated. Superoxide anion production, lysozyme, serum bactericidal, serum protein and albumin were enhanced in garlic treated groups compared with the control group. After 60 days, fish were challenged with A. hydrophila and mortality (%) was recorded up to day 10 post-challenge. Survival decreased in control group (57%) up to day 10 after infection. However, this was increased in the garlic treatment group, i.e. 85% survivability in the 1 g garlic kg−1 (B group) and 5 g garlic kg−1 (C group), and 71% survivability in the 10 g garlic kg−1 (D group), respectively. These results indicate that Allium sativum stimulates the immunity and makes L. rohita more resistant to infection by A. hydrophila.

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.... and another


EFFECT OF GARLIC ON THE SURVIVAL, GROWTH, RESISTANCE AND QUALITY OF OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS Salah Mesalhy Aly, Nashwa Mahmoud Abdel Atti* and Mohamed Fathi Mohamed

The WorldFish Center, Research Center for Africa & West Asia, Abbassa, Sharkia, Egypt.Dept of Food Hygiene, Animal Health Research Institute, Ismailia Laboratory, Egypt.


http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/ISTA8/FinalPapers/Growth pdf/22 salah Meselhy.pdf



There has also been some recent research utilizing garlic as a form of inhibiting treatment for spironucleus. (aka hexamita)

http://www.omicsonline.org/2155-9546/2155-9546-S2-002.pdf

"Allium sativum (garlic)-derived compounds have proven highly effective at inhibiting parasite growth in vitro, showing great potential as a novel alternative therapy in the treatment of Spironucleosis."

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This is huge news for anyone that keeps cichlids, as spironucleus vortens has been identified as being the leading cause of intestinal problems in cichlid fish, including being the ultimate cause of "bloat" in many cichlid species. 　

Abstract

Diplomonads are aerotolerant anaerobic, binucleate flagellates, which are commonly found in the intestinal tract of wild and farmed fish. Of the diplomonad genera, Spironucleus, composed of opportunistic pathogens, poses the greatest threat to aquaculture. Immunocompromised hosts or fish without acquired immunity are thought to be more susceptible to parasitism by these otherwise commensal agents. Accumulation of flagellates along the intestinal tract often leads to systemic Spironucleosis causing high mortality of both ornamental and food fish in aquaculture. The life cycle of these piscine diplomonads is direct, consisting of a motile, parasitic trophozoite and a resilient encysted stage, which facilitates water-borne transmission. Confusion in the nomenclature, as well as numerous reassignments of taxa, hampers our understanding of host range and geographical distribution of fish diplomonads. Accurate identification requires transmission electron microscopy to characterise intricate ultrastructural features. Additionally, sequencing of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene allows identification of cryptic Spironucleus spp.



In vitro culture provides a convenient source of flagellates for biochemical and physiological research, allowing the identification of novel parasite-specific molecular pathways such as H2 production within Spironucleus sp. This provides insight into the pathogenicity of these organisms and offers potential new targets for chemotherapy. Restrictions on the administration of the current drug of choice, metronidazole, in aquacultural settings, as well as reported cases of drug resistance, means that control of Spironucleosis is especially difficult. Allium sativum (garlic)-derived compounds have proven highly effective at inhibiting parasite growth in vitro, showing great potential as a novel alternative therapy in the treatment of Spironucleosis. Further characterisation of the biochemistry, pathogenicity and taxonomy of fish diplomonads is required in order to fully appreciate the true impact and economic consequences of Spironucleus spp. in aquaculture. "

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Disrupted intracellular redox balance of the diplomonad fish parasite Spironucleus vortens by 5-nitroimidazoles and garlic-derived compounds.

Abstract
The 5-nitroimidazole, metronidazole, has traditionally been employed in veterinary medicine to treat a range of infections including the diplomonad fish parasite Spironucleus. This study aims to determine the mode of action of metronidazole on Spironucleus vortens, including the specific mechanism of activation of the pro-drug and subsequent cellular targets of the drug metabolites. Due to the ban on use of metronidazole in the treatment of production animals in Europe and USA, garlic-derived compounds were also investigated as natural alternatives to metronidazole chemotherapy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided an overview of gross cellular damage caused by metronidazole and garlic derivatives. Proteomic analyses by 2D gel electrophoresis identified the proteins involved in specific covalent adduct formation with nitroimidazoles. Furthermore, thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activity and non-protein thiol concentration were assayed in extracts of S. vortens before and after treatment with nitroimidazoles and garlic-derivatives. Metronidazole and garlic-derived compounds caused severe damage of trophozoites indicated by membrane blebbing and lysed cell debris. Analysis of the S. vortens proteome identified several proteins capable of specific nitroimidazole binding, including; uridine phosphorylase, enolase, protein disulphide isomerase, aminoacyl-histidine dipeptidase and malic enzyme. Of the compounds tested, metronidazole and the garlic-derived compound ajoene were the most effective at inhibiting TrxR activity and depleting non-protein thiols. These data suggest TrxR-mediated activation of nitroimidazoles, leading to depletion of non-protein thiols. Redox imbalance due to antioxidant failure is implicated as the mode of action of nitroimidazoles and garlic-derived compounds, ultimately leading to cell death. Possible synergy between garlic derivatives and metronidazole should be further investigated in vitro in order to determine their theoretical implications.

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In Norway, the Austevoll Aquaculture Research Station has studied the use of garlic as a natural biocide against sea lice, with positive results, and In Israel, researchers from the Ben Gurion University aquaculture dept. are also experimenting with garlic for its anti-bacterial properties.



With regards to the concerns that have been brought up in the past regarding negative health issues from garlic .......


The only true scientific study that I'm aware of where a negative conclusion was reached when feeding garlic (a purified form of allicin) to marine fish, was due to terrestrial based lipids being bad for a fish, which is true, if used in excess. A potential problem if one uses fresh garlic or garlic oil over an extended period of time, a total non issue if one uses a commercial feed where garlic powder is being used. The inclusion rate of lipids via the addition of adding garlic to most commercial feeds (@ 1-5%) wouldn't even register on the overall lipid percentage of the food.

With regards to commercial foods, the "lipid" content derived from the garlic used in most formulas (garlic powder), would be almost nonexistent. Something along the lines of 0.0001%

To think that this will somehow have a negative effect on the health of a fish, be it short term, or long term, due to the lipid content, is quite frankly, ridiculous. Using this same type of logic one could make the same accusations about Vitamin A, due to the fact that at high enough levels it too can become toxic to fish.


Garlic has been used for centuries for its anthelmintic properties, and contains bioactive compounds that thus far have clearly been proven to have a probiotic effect on fish.

Don't all Italians?

Wow yeah, that looks like some good stuff! I like the idea of their Vitamin C+ as well. But yes, a few times a month would be fine.

I was in contact with one of the researchers in the study mentioned above, the fish used were marine, clownfish I believe, and they were fed garlic oil in a purified form every day for I believe 3-4 months straight. Another reason why I harp about NOT feeding terrestrial based plant matter to aquatic animals, or feeding dry food that contains oil from the same (soybean, canola, etc) - consuming too much has proven across many aquatic species of fish to have a negative impact to their health & well being. But somehow this researcher extrapolated that single study, to ALL garlic being bad for marine fish. He is/was so wrong, and I was happy to point out the flaws in his logic.

Ok, sounds good!