ajoene

Ajoene is a sulfur-containing organosulfur compound found in garlic (Allium sativum) and in preparations derived from garlic oil. It is one of several bioactive constituents formed from allicin during processing, storage, or extraction of garlic. Ajoene exists as geometric isomers, most commonly the E- and Z- forms, which may interconvert under certain conditions. In solution, ajoene is relatively unstable, especially in water, and its levels depend on temperature, solvent, and time.

Ajoene is produced when allicin undergoes rearrangements and dimerization, processes that occur in aged garlic extracts, garlic oil, and after crushing garlic. The compound is typically identified and studied as part of garlic-derived products, with its presence contributing to some of the characteristic biological effects attributed to garlic.

In laboratory studies, ajoene has shown antiplatelet, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiproliferative activities. The antiplatelet effect has drawn attention for potential cardiovascular implications, with proposed mechanisms including interference with platelet signaling pathways and modification of thiol groups in proteins. Antimicrobial effects have been reported against several bacteria and fungi in vitro, though clinical relevance remains unproven. Other potential activities have been explored, but robust clinical evidence is limited.

Ajoene is not approved as a medicinal drug and is primarily studied as a component of garlic supplements and as a research reagent. In food and supplement contexts, its levels decline with processing and storage; safety in dietary amounts mirrors that of garlic, while high concentrations can cause irritation or adverse effects in some individuals.