Aged garlic extract therapy for sickle cell anemia patients

Junichiro Takasu ¹ , Rolando Uykimpang ¹ , Maria Alenor Sunga ¹ , Harunobu Amagase ² and Yutaka Niihara ¹

¹Department of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine, Torrance, CA

²Wakunaga of America Co., Ltd., Mission Viejo, CA

author email corresponding author email

BMC Blood Disorders 2002, 2:3doi:10.1186/1471-2326-2-3


Published:	19 June 2002

Abstract

Background

Sickle cell anemia is one of the most prevalent hereditary disorders with prominent morbidity and mortality. With this disorder oxidative, phenomena play a significant role in its pathophysiology. One of the garlic (Allium sativum L.) formulations, aged garlic extract (AGE), has been reported to exert an anti-oxidant effect in vitro, we have evaluated the anti-oxidant effect of AGE on sickle red blood cells (RBC).

Methods

Five patients (two men and three women, mean age 40 ± 15 years, range 24–58 years) with sickle cell anemia participated in the study. AGE was administered at a dose of 5 ml a day. Whole blood samples were obtained at baseline and at 4 weeks for primarily Heinz body analysis.

Results

The data were consistent with our hypothesis. In all patients, the number of Heinz bodies decreased over the 4 week period (58.9 ± 20.0% at baseline to 29.8 ± 15.3% at follow-up, p = 0.03).

Conclusions

These data suggest that there is a significant anti-oxidant activity of AGE on sickle RBC. AGE may be further evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent to ameliorate complications of sickle cell anemia.