Supplement
Society garlic is a South African plant whose leaves and roots are used as a garlic-like herbal remedy, and its sulfur-rich compounds are thought to be what gives it biological activity. People mostly look at it for blood pressure, and in a 7-week study, rats bred to be salt-sensitive had lower systolic blood pressure after a root extract. That evidence is very limited, though: it comes almost entirely from animal and lab work, and no human trials have been reviewed here.
Sources: PMID 23291533
- Updated
- How we grade
- 6 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 6
- Graded outcomes
- 0006
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antimicrobial Activity In vitro studies show Tulbaghia violacea extracts exhibit trypanocidal and leishmanicidal activity via trypanothione reductase inhibition, plus antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus through ergosterol synthesis inhibition. Antibacterial activity was generally weak. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 3 studies | |||
Studies that measured antimicrobial activity
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| Blood Glucose In STZ-induced diabetic Wistar rats (n=7/group), Tulbaghia violacea rhizome extract (60-120 mg/kg) significantly reduced fasting blood glucose, improved glucose tolerance, and increased plasma insulin levels compared to untreated diabetic controls. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 2 studies | |||
| Testosterone In an in vitro study using mouse testicular cell cultures, Tulbaghia violacea ethanol extract (312.5-5000 μg/ml) significantly increased LH-induced testosterone production. No effect was observed without LH stimulation, and no human studies exist. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Pressure In a 7-week animal study, Tulbaghia violacea root methanolic extract (50 mg/kg) reduced systolic blood pressure by 12.88% in Dahl salt-sensitive rats, with increased sodium excretion and lower ACE activity compared to captopril control. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 2 studies | |||
| Blood Lipids In a diabetic rat model, Tulbaghia violacea extract reduced serum triglycerides, VLDL, and total cholesterol while increasing HDL-cholesterol, along with reduced liver enzyme markers (ALT, AST) suggesting hepatoprotective effects. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant Status In diabetic rats, Tulbaghia violacea extract increased antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase), elevated plasma nitric oxide, and reduced lipid peroxidation markers (TBARS) in liver tissue. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 2 studies | |||
Studies that measured antioxidant status | ||||||
Key findings
- Antimicrobial ActivityImproves (the measure goes up)
- Blood PressureImproves (the measure goes down)
- Blood GlucoseImproves (the measure goes down)
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- Grade D
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Studies cited
6 studies from PubMed
- Tulbaghia violacea (Harv) Exerts its Antifungal Activity by Reducing Ergosterol Production in Aspergillus flavus
- Anticancer properties of Tulbaghia violacea regulate the expression of p53-dependent mechanisms in cancer cell lines
- Tulbaghia violacea and Allium ursinum Extracts Exhibit Anti-Parasitic and Antimicrobial Activities
- Antioxidant, antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects of Tulbaghia violacea Harv. (wild garlic) rhizome methanolic extract in a diabetic rat model
- Cardiovascular effects of Tulbaghia violacea Harv. (Alliaceae) root methanolic extract in Dahl salt-sensitive (DSS) rats
- The effect of Tulbaghia violacea extracts on testosterone secretion by testicular cell cultures