Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of Allicin for the Treatment of Experimentally Induced Subacute Lead Poisoning in Sheep

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum) is known to reduce lead toxicity in some species of animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of allicin, one of the most active components of garlic, in the treatment of subacute lead intoxication in sheep. Nine female sheep weighing 25–29 kg orally received a daily dose of 80 mg/kg body weight of lead acetate for 5 days. The animals were then assigned into two groups. Group 1 did not receive any further treatment and was used as the control group and group 2 was treated orally by 2.7 mg/kg body weight of allicin twice daily for 7 days. Within one day following allicin treatment, group 2 blood lead levels were significantly lower than that in group 1 (mean of 616.9 µg/l and 290.02 µg/l, respectively; P < 0.05). Also, allicin treatment significantly reduced kidney lead content and considerably reduced bone and ovary lead contents. These results suggest that allicin might have some therapeutic effects on lead poisoning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Radostits OM, Gay CC, Hinchcliff KW, Constable PD (2007) Veterinary medicine, 10th edn. Saunders, London, pp 1799–1808

    Google Scholar 

  2. Chiado LM, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL (2004) Neurodevelopment effects of postnatal lead exposure at very low levels. Neurotoxicol Teratol 26:359–371

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Koller K, Brown T, Spurgeon A, Levy L (2004) Recent development in low-level lead exposure and intellectual impairment in children. Environ Health Perspec 112:987–994

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hoet P, Buchet JP, Decerf L, Lavalleye B, Haufroid V, Lison D (2006) Clinical evaluation of a lead mobilization test using the chelating agent dimercaptosuccinic acid. Clin Chem 52:88–96

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Campbell JR, Rosier RN, Novotny L, Puzas JE (2004) The association between environmental lead exposure and bone density in children. Environ Health Perspec 112:1200–1203

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Anderson O (1999) Principles and recent developments in chelation treatment of metal intoxication. Chem Rev 99:2683–2710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Osweiler GD (1999) Toxicology, 1st edn. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 195–196

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kalia K, Flora SJS (2005) Strategies for safe and effective therapeutic measures for chronic arsenic and lead poisoning. J Occup Health 47:1–21

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Meldrum JB, Kok W (2003) Effects of calcium disodium EDTA and meso-2, 3-dimercaptosuccinic acid of tissue concentrations of lead for use in treatment of calves with experimentally induced lead toxicosis. Am J Vet Res 6:672–676

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bratton GR, Zmudzki J, Bell MC, Warnoch LG (1981) Thiamine (vitamin B1) effects on lead intoxication and deposition of lead in tissues: therapeutic potential. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 59:164–172

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kostial K, Blanusa M, Piasek M, Restek-Samarzija N, Jones MM, Singh PK (1999) Combined chelation therapy in reducing tissue lead concentrations in suckling rats. J Appl Toxicol 19:143–147

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Senapati SK, Dey S, Dwivedi SK, Swarup D (2001) Effect of garlic (Allium sativum) extract on tissue lead level in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 76:229–232

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Badiei K, Pourjaafar M, Nowrooziasl A (2005) Effect of dried garlic powder (Allium sativum) on lead content of different tissues following subclinical lead poisoning in goats. Iranian J Vet Res 6:12–16

    Google Scholar 

  14. Lawson LD (1996) The composition and chemistry of garlic cloves and processed garlic. In: Koch HP, Lawson LD (eds) Garlic: the science and therapeutic application of Allium sativum L. and related species. 2nd edn. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 38–39

    Google Scholar 

  15. Miron T, Bercovici T, Rabinkov A, Wilchek M, Mrelman D (2004) Allicin: preparation and applications. Anal Biochem 331:364–369

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Chung LY (2006) The antioxidant properties of garlic compounds: allyl cysteine, alliin, allicin and allyl disulfide. J Med Food 9:205–213

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Coppi A, Cabinian M, Mirelman D, Sinnis P (2006) Antimalarial activity of allicin, a biologically active compound from garlic cloves. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 50:1731–1737

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hanafy MS, Shalaby SM, El-Fouly MA (1994) Effect of garlic on lead content in chicken tissues. DTW Dtsch Tieraztl Wonchenschr 10:157–158

    Google Scholar 

  19. Massadeh AM, Al-Safi SA, Momani IF, Alomary AA, Jaradat QM, Alkofahi AS (2007) Garlic (Allium sativum L.) as a potential antidote for cadmium and lead intoxication: cadmium and lead distribution and analysis in different mice organs. Biol Trace Elem Res 120:227–234

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Patrick L (2006) Lead toxicity. Part II: the role of free radical damage and the use of antioxidants in the pathology and treatment of lead toxicity. Alt Med Rev 11:114–127

    Google Scholar 

  21. Amagase H, Petesch BL, Matsuura H, Kasuga S, Itakura Y (2001) Intake of garlic and its bioactive compounds. J Nutr 131:955s–962s

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Germain E, Auger J, Gines C, Siess MH, Teyssier C (2002) In vivo metabolism of diallyl disulphide in the rat: identification of two new metabolites. Xenobiotica 32:1127–1138

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Casteel SW (2006) Lead. In: Peterson ME, Talcott PA (eds) Small Animal Toxicology, 2nd edn. Saunders, St. Louis, pp 795–805

    Google Scholar 

  24. Patrick L (2007) Lead toxicity. A review of the literature. Part I: Exposure, evaluation, and treatment. Alt Med Rev 11:2–22

    Google Scholar 

  25. Kim JS, Blakley BR, Rousseaux CG (1990) The effects of thiamine on tissue distribution of lead. J Appl Toxicol 10:93–97

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kim JS, Hamilton DL, Blakley BR, Roussraux CG (1992) The effect of thiamin on lead metabolism: organ distribution of lead 203. Can J Vet Res 56:256–259

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Olkowski AA, Gooneratne SR, Christensen DA (1991) The effects of thiamine and EDTA on biliary and urinary lead excretion in sheep. Toxicol Letter 59:153–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Maiti SK, Swarup D, Chandra SV (1990) Therapeutic potential of thiamine hydrochloride in experimental chronic lead intoxication in goats. Res Vet Sci 48:377–378

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Swarup D, Upadhyay AK (1991) Chemoprophylactic efficacy of thiamine hydrochloride in experimental lead toxicosis in calves. Indian J Anim Sci 61:1170–1173

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Coppock RW, Wagner WC, Reynolds JD, Vogel RS, Gelberg HB, Florence LZ, Wolff WA (1991) Evaluation of edentate and thiamine for treatment of experimentally induced environmental lead poisoning in cattle. Am J Vet Res 52:1860–1865

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Gwaltney-Beant S (2003) Lead. In: Plumlee KH (ed) Clinical Veterinary Toxicology. Mosby, St. Louis, pp 204–210

    Google Scholar 

  32. Prasad K, Laxdal VA, Yu M, Raney BL (1995) Antioxidant activity of allicin, an active principle in garlic. Molecular cell Biochem 148:183–189

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Mousa HM, Al-Qarawi AA, Ali BH, Abdel Rahman HA, Elmougy SA (2002) Effect of lead exposure on the erythrocytic antioxidant levels in goats. J Vet Med A Physiol Clin Med 49:531–534

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Anderson BO, Adenuga GA (2007) Effect of lead exposure on liver lipid peroxidative and antioxidant defense systems of protein-undernourished rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 116:219–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Aykin-Burns N, Laegeler N, Kellogg G, Ercal N (2003) Oxidative effect of lead in young and adult Fisher 344 rats. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 44:417–420

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Taubeneck MW, Domingo JL, Liobet JM, Keen CL (1992) Meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) affects maternal and fetal copper metabolism in Swiss mice. Toxicol 72:27–40

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Domingo JL (1998) Developmental toxicity of metal chelating agents. Reprod Toxicol 12:499–510

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Christopher K, Margaret L (2004) Altered mentation caused by polioencephalomalacia, hypernatremia, and lead poisoning. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 20:287–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr P. Josling, Nopex-UK, for supplying the allicin, Mr Mohsen Namei Ghasemi, Medical Toxicology Research Center Laboratory, for his assistance in toxicological analysis of the samples and Dr H. Dehghani, Department of Basic Science of our school of Veterinary Medicine, for revision of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University Of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    V. Najar-Nezhad & M. R. Aslani

  2. Medical Toxicology Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    M. Balali-Mood

Authors
  1. V. Najar-Nezhad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. R. Aslani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Balali-Mood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. R. Aslani.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Najar-Nezhad, V., Aslani, M.R. & Balali-Mood, M. Evaluation of Allicin for the Treatment of Experimentally Induced Subacute Lead Poisoning in Sheep. Biol Trace Elem Res 126, 141–147 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-008-8185-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-008-8185-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation