Garlic crush and sit rule

Byscientist
A close-up of garlic cloves and a wooden knife on a rustic brown surface, showcasing a warm and earthy kitchen setting.

More about garlic preparation. Garlin contains alliin stored in the cytoplasm which is converted by enzyme allinase, which is in the cell sap, to allicin which is the key sulfur compound responsible for its flavor and all the health benefits.

However to make the enzyme react, the crushing process needs to take place at room temperature and then allowed to mature which gives the enzyme a chance to break down allicin. Now, allicin is volatile and begins to form immediately after crushing and then peaks at about 10-15 minutes. So after crushing a few minutes are required before the enzyme gets a chance to act on alliin.

However, there is a catch. Allinase is a heat sensitive enzyme which means that no more allicin is produced after heating and implies that garlic needs to be crushed to release the enzymes and alliin and then should be left alone before cooking to form allicin.

The benefits of allicin is an antioxidant and antibacterial.

Similar Posts

  • Pharmacologically active constituents in plants

    Byscientist

    There are many compounds in plants that are active in animals and humans. In broad category, all of these compounds listed below are listed. But, lets take it one at a time. Proanthocyanidins Cyanogenic glycosides Polysaccharides Glucosinolates Bitters Alkaloids Coumarins Saponins Phenols Volatile oils Flavonoids Tannins Anthraquinones Cardiac glycosides Proanthocyanidins: These molecules give the plants…

  • Foods and processed food

    Byscientist

    The foods that we eat undergo processing in some form or another. A basic process might be heating or cooking, and besides the raw vegetables/fish that are more common, it is very difficult to eat foods that have not been processed. Currently, there are also doubts about ultra processed foods that add extra sugar, lipids…

  • | |

    Heart rate variability

    Byscientist

    By definition, heart rate variability is the time between each heart beat. This is called the R-R interval and shows the beat modulation of the sino-atrial node whose time variation is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. This matters because sympathetic (fight or flight) or parasympathetic (rest and digest) activity governs cardiac dynamics. A higher…

  • L-theanine

    Byscientist

    It is surprising how much chemistry goes into understanding basic biology. Considering a simple cup of tea. There have been many studies showing the important bioactive compounds in tea. Catechins are polyphenols that got significant attention for their anti-oxidant activities. Then there is caffeine. But another component L-theanine has not been discussed much. L-theanine is…

  • |

    ALS and TDP43

    Byscientist

    Almost 90% of ALS is thought to be sporadic. The reasons are not well understood and thought to be oxidative stress, damaged endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, cytoskeleton or misregulation of RNA pathways. One protein implicated is TDP43 which sits as a junction of ALS pathogenic path by binding to RNA modulation synthesis, splicing, stability and transport….