A combination of crushed garlic (
Allium sativum
) and black cumin seeds (
Nigelia sativum
) has been used as a traditional remedy for urinary tract infections. In-vitro antimicrobial testing suggested that the mixture of two spices in the ratio of 1:1 has antimicrobial effects on both
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Escherichia coli
species. Analyses of the extract of garlic and black cumin by GC-MS as well as LC–MS & MS
2 confirmed that the main components of garlic were allicin, γ-glutamyl-S-allylcysteine and allicin transformed products such as diallyldisulfide and vinyldithiins. Components of black cumin were thymoquinone, p-cymene, p-tert-butylcatechol, and pinene. Isolated samples of allicin by preparative HPLC from garlic extract and reference samples of diallyldisulfide and thymoquinone were tested individually and in combination for their antimicrobial activities against
S. aureus and
E. coli. All of these compounds showed modest antimicrobial effects individually (except diallyldisulfide against
E. coli) and in combination.
