TITLE:
Black Garlic as an Antiviral for Herpes Simplex Virus-2 in Lung Cells
AUTHORS:
Jenna R. Horowitz, Lee H. Lee, Sandra D. Adams
KEYWORDS:
Black Garlic, Herpes Simplex Virus-2, Antioxidant, Antiviral, Allicin
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.15 No.1,
January
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: Allicin, an antioxidant, is known for providing garlic with its unique
fragrance and taste, as well as for its antimicrobial properties. Black garlic,
a fermented form of garlic, contains higher levels of antioxidants than fresh
garlic. Antioxidants play a vital role in alleviating cellular stress during
viral infections. Viral infections result in oxidative stress through the
production of reactive oxidative species (ROS). A prolonged state of oxidative
stress can result in cell death, DNA damage, and disease progression. In this
study, black garlic extract (BGE) is evaluated for its ability to mitigate
cytopathic effects and oxidative stress caused by herpes simplex virus-2
(HSV-2) infections in vitro. Antiviral assays were performed to determine the
percent of viral inhibition resulting from treatment with the BGE. ROS-GloTM H2O2 assays were then
completed to measure the post-infection ROS levels of BGE-treated virus and
cells. The results thus far suggest that BGE may inhibit viral infection and
decrease levels of oxidative stress.