Allium ursinum as a Centuries-old Medicinal Plant. Short Review of Anti-inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties of the Rare Garlic Species

Authored by

Oskar Szczepaniak, Susanne Neugart, Monika Przeor, Tuba Esatbeyoglu

Abstract

Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) is a wild plant growing in Middle
and Eastern Europe that has been traditionally applied in local
cuisine and herbal medicine practices. The leaves of the plant
contain numerous bioactive compounds, i.e., flavonols, flava-
nols, phenolic acids, and thiopolysulfides. The aim of the
study is to present the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and
antimicrobial properties of this plant. The leaves of Allium ur-
sinum possess strong antioxidant activity, which varies de-
pending on extractant use and plant origin. The plant has lim-
ited capacity for ferric ion reduction in a FRAP test, as well.
The previous studies showed that the high content of phe-
nolic compounds was prevalently responsible for the high
antiradical capacity. On the other hand, the thiopolysulfides
present in the plant are responsible for its anti-inflammatory
effect, observed as inhibition of TNF-α and interleukins, and
as a bactericidal effect against skin pathogenic microflora.
Wild garlic has a negative effect on cancer cell line viability,
while it enhances the viability of non-cancerogenic tissue
cells. All these effects clearly show that wild garlic is an inter-
esting and potent raw material that should be more often ap-
plied in todayʼs functional foods, as well as a novel additive for
dietary supplements, herbal remedies, or materials with top-
ical anti-bacterial action.

Details

Organisation(s): Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Institute of Food and One Health
Molecular Food Chemistry and Food Development
External Organisation(s): University of Life Sciences in Poznan
University of Göttingen
Type: Article
Journal: Planta medica
Volume: 91
Pages: 626-634
No. of pages: 9
ISSN: 0032-0943
Publication date: 09.07.2025
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Analytical Chemistry, Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Science, Drug Discovery, Complementary and alternative medicine, Organic Chemistry
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2633-5581 (Access: Closed )