Garlic and the Plant-Herbivore Wars .

Garlic and the Plant-Herbivore Wars .
Andre Willers
10 Apr 2011

Synopsis:
Garlic (Allicin) is a toxin produced by binary components alliin and enzyme alliinase These are kept in separate pockets , but mix when the plant is damaged (eaten) , producing allicin .

Dicussion :
This is a very old and beautiful mechanism , verging on symbiosis .

Note the presence of Sulfur : it evolved pre-oxygen , and evolved to keep pace .
It originally evolved to zap viruses and other bacteria to give the originators a relative advantage .
In multicellular organisms , it does the same .
Notice that the chemical (Allicin) evolved first , then reversed into the genomes of various organisms because it was so useful .
Allicin remains invariant , and genomes adapt to it .
A sort of "Inverse Prion"

But it is kept in check by various mechanisms :

1.Bad taste and smell and a burning sensation

This limits eating . The burning is sensation is caused by the activation of a separate neural network that evolved to simulate a burning sensation . This evolved into capsaicum receptors in mammals . Birds , reptiles and dinosaurs had equivalents .
Note sensitivity of marine mollusks to anti-fouling paints based on capsaicum-like chemicals .

2.Deactivation of enzyme alliinase if ph<3
This led to gastric acids .
Symbiotic bacteria in the intestines must be kept protected .
Swallowing garlic plants or powders will not work
If you drink coke ,pepsi etc , with your garlic , there will be little health benefit (see Appendix A for acidity of popular drinks)
But too much of a good thing can harm . A swig of acid drink(ph<3) will reset oral bacterial systems after eating garlic . But it must be pulsed at 2 minute intervals .

3.Quick breakdown of allicin at body temperatures :

16 hours at 23 C (from Wiki)

64 hours at 3 C (the fridge) . Throw away supermarket or even frozen minced garlic as far as health effects are concerned .

5.7 hours at 38 C (doubling of chemical activity every 10 C)
Very little allicin makes it through to the small intestines to upset the gut flora .

Cooking :
5 minutes at 100 C . (doubling of chemical activity every 10 C)
There is very little allicin left after 5 minutes of cooking .

The effects of Allicin is then concentrated in the mouth and throat : where the rubber hits the tar . Where any bacteria is an enemy . Kill them all , and let the immune system sort out the remainder .
This works well in pulsed dosages , hence another reason for the rapid breakdown of allicin .

4.Breakdown accellarators :
There is some evidence that there are some other chemicals in garlic that speeds up breakdown of allicin . Presumably binary , as well .


Preservation of allicin :
See http://en.wikipedia.org/allicin
Cutler and Wilson found that an aqueous cream of allicin (0.5 g/L) compared well with 20 g/L of muporicin .
Aqueous cream is essentially an emulsion .

Make your own Allicin Cream :
Spray-on cream from an aerosol can is an emulsion .
Spray it into your bowl , then crush your garlic clove inside the cream emulsion . Hopefully , large enough percentages of the binary components alliin and enzyme alliinase are encapsulated by the lipid foams .
Smear it on , and as the foams evaporate and break down , the components interact .
Voila , allicin .
Dosages and timing will have to be found by experiment .
Be careful and err on the side of caution . 0.5 g/L allocin is kinda small .

An added advantage is that the burning sensation will be much ameliorated (cream is a milk product , which has been found to decrease the burning sensation .)

Smear it on the gums and swirl it (there will be greatly stimulated spit production) . Swallow if necessary . After a prederminate time (start at 2 minutes , then progress in sequence 4 , 8 ,16 , etc) . If discomfort is experienced , swill mouth with coke . Then milk if necessary .

It can be used as a topical cream for anti-fungal and bacteriocidal purposes on the skin.
Do not use it in capsules designed to bypass the stomach , or in suppositories without medical supervision by a really qualified doctor .

This would be like the Terminator loose in LA .

Making pure allicin , alliin and enzyme alliinase
Put clove of garlic in centrifuge test-tube , together with at least 3 balls whose diameter is slightly more than the radius of the test-tube .
Spin .
The relative motions of the balls will crush the garlic , and the centripetal forces will separate the various layers . These can then be tapped individually . But don't loiter too long , as the enzyme at the interface will eventually convert all the aliin into allicin .


Garlic Perles , oils , etc .
These are worthless as far as allicin health benefits are concerned .
These all involve macerating garlic cloves , then dissolving it into an oil .
Reaction between alliin and enzyme alliinase creates allicin . This decays within a matter of hours as set out above . What remains has very little(if any) bio-reactivity

Temperature release :
There might be a temperature release .
An old evolutionary structure would have added the extra "Oomph" of explosive micro-injection of the allicin . Ie an exothermic reaction between alliin and enzyme alliinase .
This gives opportunity of introducing retrovirals , bleach , etc into the teeth and jaw-bones by smearing a minute layer on the tooth , then biting down on the garlic clove (or cream) .

Really, really potent Garlic will blow your socks off !

Bon appetit.

Andre

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Appendix A
Acidity (PH) of some popular drinks .

Diet Mountain Dew 2.95 0.0
Dr. Pepper 2.92 9.64 tsp.
Sprite 2.90 9.29 tsp.
Gatorade (Lemon-Lime) 2.83 5 tsp.
Mountain Dew 2.80 11.07 tsp.
Minute Maid Orange Soda 2.80 11.2 tsp.
Diet Pepsi 2.77 0.0
Diet Coke 2.70 0.0
Powerade 2.63 5.36 tsp.
Pepsi 2.43 9.64 tsp.
Coca-Cola 2.30 9.64 tsp.
Battery Acid (Yikes!) 1.00 (Acidic) 0.0"

"*Acid amounts from the study “Enamel and root surface erosion due to popular U.S. beverages,” 2006. Authors: L. Ehlen, T.A. Marshall, F. Qian, J.J. Warren, J. Wefel, M.M. Hogan, and J.D. Harless. College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City and from University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, 2000, Northwest Dentistry Vol 80, No. 2. **4.2 grams = 1 teaspoon."

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