Comparison of Composition and Bioactive Properties of Garlic from Gaziantep and Kahramanmaraş

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) belongs to the Liliaceae family and is a vegetable of global economic importance due to its distinctive flavour and positive health effects. It is utilised as an essential component in both traditional and modern medicine. In this study, garlic cultivated in the Gaziantep and Kahramanmaraş regions was analysed. There is a lack of detailed studies in the literature comparing the general composition and bioactive properties of garlic from these two regions. The analyses encompassed moisture and protein content, colour characteristics, antioxidant capacity (measured through DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and iron ion chelating capacity), and total phenolic content. Additionally, the sugar profile was assessed via the HPLC-RID method, the amino acid profile using HPLC-PDA, and total sulfur compounds along with allicin content were analysed. The amino acids identified in garlic samples included aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamine, histidine, glycine, threonine, arginine, tyrosine, cysteine, valine, methionine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, and proline. The total amino acid content was found to be 488.81 mg/100 g in Gaziantep garlic, whereas it was 417.34 mg/100 g in Kahramanmaraş garlic. In both regions, arginine was identified as the dominant amino acid. The amount of allicin in garlic grown in the Gaziantep region was measured at 2.51 mg/g, with a total sulfur compound amount of 7.84 mg/g. In garlic from the Kahramanmaraş region, the allicin content was measured at 2.37 mg/g, while the total sulfur compound amount was 6.58 mg/g. The findings provide vital insights into the nutritional and functional value of garlic by highlighting the differences in composition and bioactive properties of garlic cultivated in different regions.