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Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation |
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Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation |
August 2000
RIRDC Publication No 00/63
RIRDC Project No. DAV-124A
There is currently a multi-million dollar international business in the production and sale of hypolipidaemic (cholesterol lowering) drugs and other treatments. Treatment generally consists of dietary and lifestyle intervention (for up to six months) prior to courses of drugs being prescribed. There is a significant opportunity for garlic supplements to become part of this first line treatment program. Garlic has long been cited as having a range of health benefits and scientists have been investigating the biochemical pathway linked to the production of the specific cholesterol lowering compound, allicin. Garlic has the added benefit of having few known side effects and hence it should be possible to initiate prophylactic treatment earlier than other first line hypolipidaemic therapies.
In 1995 a collaboration between RIRDC, Agriculture Victoria and The Australian Garlic Industry Association, set out to investigate the varietal, production and storage conditions that affect the level of allicin extracted from garlic.
In the first phase of the study, a survey of the allicin levels in garlic grown across Eastern Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania) was conducted. It determined that almost 50% of the samples (95 out of 200) contained allicin levels above the level required to allow economic extraction ( > 4.5 mg/g of fresh bulb weight) as determined by commercial interests. This result contrasted with previous studies conducted in other parts of the world, in that allicin levels above 4.5 mg/g were recorded in a relatively large proportion of the samples. Allicin levels peaked at 9.0 mg/g whereas the previous highest result recorded in the scientific literature was 7.3 mg/g.
Later work with a range of garlic varieties at sites in Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania showed that allicin levels above 4.5 mg/g were reproducible across a range of Australian garlic growing environments. Furthermore, a range of factors were identified as being important in optimising allicin levels, in particular the matching of each garlic variety to its preferred growing region on the basis of both allicin production and crop yield.
Management and nutritional factors were identified that enhanced the level of allicin produced by the plants. Allicin increases of up to 35% were recorded with the use of nutrient supplements during crop growth. However, in some varieties this was accompanied by a concomitant decrease in bulb size and further studies are currently underway (in association with the Australian Garlic Industry Association) to determine the best time/s during the growth cycle to apply the nutrient supplements.
Storage trials were conducted to determine the optimum storage conditions for maximum retention of allicin levels over time. Protocols have been developed with the assistance of garlic growers and in particular, Mr. Roger Schmitke.
The high level of allicin present in Australian grown garlic presents two opportunities to the Australian garlic industry. Firstly, the opportunity to market fresh produce to consumers based on its premium quality (health benefits), and secondly, the opportunity to export for the international health and/or pharmaceutical markets. This second opportunity has been investigated in some detail, in association with Agriculture Victoria's agribusiness unit, Austrade and the Australian Garlic Industry Association.
Market research has indicated the potential to value add for the export market with a dried (processed or semi-processed) rather than fresh product. Further research is required to determine the optimal drying/powdering process based on the listed specifications of potential pharmaceutical customers.
Whilst the opportunity for the Australian garlic industry is potentially
lucrative, the industry is currently extremely small by world standards.
Hence significant industry development is required before the opportunity
can become reality.
 
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