Abstract:
Garlic (Allium sativum) is known for its medicinal and health food use. However, garlic
extracts are also used in bio-pesticides. This study reports research on the optimisation
of a fast and cheap method for assaying allicin, the active constituent of garlic extract,
based on UV spectrophotometry. Garlic cloves were extracted using water. The allicin
content of the garlic extracts was analysed after passing the extract through SPE
cartridge and eluted with solvents of various polarities. The most polar solvent used
was water which eluted the allicin in 4 ml, while methanol and ethanol did not. The
absorbance of UV radiation at 240 nm and 254 nm wavelengths by the garlic fraction
eluted with water gave a ratio of A240 nm/ A254 nm H” 1.4 – 1.5, which is typical
for allicin.The garlic available in the Kenyan market was assayed for allicin using the
optimised method. Some pesticides in the market containing garlic were also assayed
for allicin. The results obtained compared well with documented values.
