Investigation of the health enhancing (antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial) traits of garlic (Allium sativum L.) varieties belonging to different ecophysiological groups grown in Turkey

Aim: It is aimed to determine the health promoting properties of garlic, which is widely produced in different regions of Turkey and is among the supportive treatment products. For this purpose, garlic collected from different regions; •It is aimed to measure the main compounds allicin and alliin responsible for its antidiabetic activity, •To perform antibacterial activity analyses, •To measure total phenolic substance concentration, total flavonoid amount and radical scavenging activities and to compare the results between regions. Material and Method: The research was carried out with a total of 48 samples, 6 each from Aksaray, Balıkesir, Kayseri, Kastamonu, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş and Tokat. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, total phenolic substance determination and total flavonoid value of the samples were measured by spectrophotometric methods. The amounts of allicin and allin were measured in the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) device. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was tested by agar well diffusion method. Results: According to the analysis results; •The mean total phenolic substance level was 38.36±14.2 mgQE/g, while the total flavonoid level was 14.42±5.19 mgGAE/g. The highest levels were found in Aksaray garlic, 54.16±9.39 mgQE/g and 21.93±6.58 mgGAE/g, respectively. While the mean % inhibition value of radical scavenging activity was 56.14±15.51, it was measured as 29.71±6.54 in Hatay garlic. •Allicin and allin contents were calculated as 0.35±0.17 and 0.76±0.37, respectively, and the highest was detected in Tokat garlic (0.6±0.39). • Antibacterial activity of garlic against Gram (-) bacteria was not observed. Gaziantep and Tokat garlic showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. faecalis strains and all garlics showed antibacterial activity against B. cereus strains. Antifungal activity was not observed in Aksaray, Kayseri and Kahramanmaraş garlics. Conclusion: With this study, we believe that it will contribute to the studies to be conducted on the use of the health-enhancing properties of Turkish garlic in alternative treatment methods.