Abstract

• Garlic, a member of the Alliaceae family has been used for thousands of years as a food additive, spice, and medicine. Garlic extract has been shown to reduce serum cholesterol levels and increase blood coagulation time. Alkaloids, α- amino acids, carbohydrates, glycosides, phenolic compounds, reducing sugars, saponins, tannin, hydrolysable tannin, flavonoids, steroids are present in garlic bulbs, but starch is not. From the study of the elemental analysis by EDXRF (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence), the essential metal potassium (1.321 %), sulphur (1.176%), calcium (0.081%), and iron (0.006%) were found in the garlic. The toxic heavy metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) were not detected in the bulb sample. The essential oil was isolated from Allium sativum L. (garlic) by steam distillation. The mixture of essential oil with water was separated with n-hexane. The antioxidant activity of extracted essential oil, ethanol and watery extracts was screened by the DPPH free radical scavenging assay method. The IC50 value of extracted essential oil was found to be 514.79 µg/mL, while the 95 % ethanol and watery extracts were 55.70 µg/mL and 147.55 µg/mL. So, 95% ethanol has the most potent antioxidant activity. The organic constituents in the extracted essential oil of garlic were investigated at the Department of Research and Innovation National Laboratory (DRI), Yangon. Seven compounds (methyl-1-propenyl disulfide, diallyl disulphide, 2-vinyl-1, 3-dithiane, 3-vinyl-1, 2-dithicyclohex-4-ene, 3-vinyl-1, 2- dithicyclohex-5-ene, di-2-propenyl trisulphide and di-2-propenyl tetrasulfide) were detected in the essential oil of garlic. So, from all of these experimental data, it can be inferred that Allium sativum L. (garlic) can be useful for medicinal purposes.