Garlic and Onion Extracts Enhance the Yield of T2 Bacteriophage in E. coli

Abstract

It has been demonstrated that garlic and some of its components have anti-bacterial and/or anti-viral activity for viruses of humans in vitro.  Increasing concentrations of garlic extract have no effect on the replication of E. coli cultured in nutrient broth.  Increasing concentrations of garlic extract inhibit the replication of T4 Bacteriophage in E. coli but, surprisingly, E. coli cells treated with garlic extract produced a yield of T2 Bacteriophage up to 184% of the control culture.  Onion extract and allicin, a purified form of garlic, exhibit a similar stimulatory effect on the replication of T2 Bacteriophage.  The earlier garlic extract was added to the E. coli cells before infection, the greater was the enhancement of the T2 Bacteriophage yield.  Treatment of E. coli cells with garlic extract has no effect on the adsorption of T2 Bacteriophage to E. coli cells.  Increasing amounts of glucose added to E. coli cultures infected with T2 Bacteriophage caused an increase in the yield of the Bacteriophage but increasing amounts of glucose added to E. coli cultures treated with garlic extract and then infected with T2 Bacteriophage caused a decrease in the Bacteriophage yield. These results suggest that garlic extract stimulation of T2 Bacteriophage yield is due to the stimulation of cAMP production by E. coli cells.

Keywords: Garlic extract, Onion extract, T2 Bacteriophage, cAMP

Cite this Article

Gerald Goldstein, Owen L. Kelling, Gregory L. Serpa, leine et al. Garlic and Onion Extracts Enhance the Yield of T2 Bacteriophage in E. coli. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Biotechnology. 2015; 5(2): 8–16p.