Background: Garlic oil which is the main active constituent of garlic has a wide range of pharmacological activities, and a broad antibacterial
spectrum. It also has a strong anti-cancer activity, and can significantly inhibit a variety of tumors such as liver cancer, gastric cancer and colon
cancer. The objective is to study the extraction process of garlic oil and its antibacterial effects.
Materials and Methods: CO
2 Supercritical extraction was used to investigate the optimal processing conditions for garlic oil extraction; filter
paper test and suspension dilution test were applied to determine the bacteriostatic action of garlic oil.
Results: In the CO
2 supercritical extraction experiment, factors influencing the yield of garlic oil were: extraction pressure > extraction
temperature > extraction time in descending order. Range analysis showed that the optimal experimental conditions for CO
2 supercritical
extraction of garlic oil were extraction pressure of 15 Mpa, temperature of 40 ℃, and duration of 1 h. Different concentrations of garlic oil could
all inhibit the growth of
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Escherichia coli
and
Bacillus subtilis
, suggesting that garlic oil has an antibacterial effect.
Conclusion: The optimal experimental conditions for CO
2 supercritical extraction of garlic oil were: extraction pressure of 15 Mpa, temperature
of 40 ℃, and duration of 1 h; garlic oil has an antibacterial effect.
