Interspecies Comparison of the Bacterial Response to Allicin Reveals Species-Specific Defense Strategies.

Allicin, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent from garlic, disrupts thiol and redox homeostasis, proteostasis, and cell membrane integrity. Since medicine demands antimicrobials with so far unexploited mechanisms, allicin is a promising lead structure. While progress is being made in unraveling its mode of action, little is known on bacterial adaptation strategies.

A Comparison of the Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Thiosulfinate Analogues of Allicin.

Allicin (diallylthiosulfinate) is a defence molecule from garlic (Allium sativum L.) with broad antimicrobial activities in the low µM range against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, including antibiotic resistant strains, and fungi. Allicin reacts with thiol groups and can inactivate essential enzymes.

An Optimized Facile Procedure to Synthesize and Purify Allicin.

Allicin is a reactive sulfur species (RSS) and defence substance from garlic ( L.). The compound is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is also effective against multiple drug resistant (MDR) strains.

Yap1p, the central regulator of the S. cerevisiae oxidative stress response, is activated by allicin, a natural oxidant and defence substance of garlic.

Unlabelled: Allicin is a thiol-reactive sulfur-containing natural product from garlic with a broad range of antimicrobial effects against prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Previous work showed that the S. cerevisiae OSI1 gene is highly induced by allicin and other thiol-reactive compounds, and in silico analysis revealed multiple Yap1p binding motifs in the OSI1 promoter sequence.

Inorganic Reactive Sulfur-Nitrogen Species: Intricate Release Mechanisms or Cacophony in Yellow, Blue and Red?

Since the heydays of Reactive Sulfur Species (RSS) research during the first decade of the Millennium, numerous sulfur species involved in cellular regulation and signalling have been discovered. Yet despite the general predominance of organic species in organisms, recent years have also seen the emergence of inorganic reactive sulfur species, ranging from inorganic polysulfides (HS/S) to thionitrous acid (HSNO) and nitrosopersulfide (SSNO). These inorganic species engage in a complex interplay of reactions in vitro and possibly also in vivo.