Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a well-known spice widely utilised for its medicinal properties. There is an extensive record of the many beneficial health effects of garlic which can be traced back to as early as the ancient Egyptian era. One of the most studied properties of garlic is its ability to cure certain ailments caused by infections. In the 1940s, the antimicrobial activities exhibited by garlic were first reported to be due to allicin, a volatile compound extracted from raw garlic. Since then, allicin has been widely investigated for its putative inhibitory activities against a wide range of microorganisms. Allicin has demonstrated a preference for targeting the thiol-containing proteins and/or enzymes in microorganisms. It has also demonstrated the ability to regulate several genes essential for the virulence of microorganisms. Recently, it was reported that allicin may function better in combination with other antimicrobials compared to when used alone. When used in combination with antibiotics or antifungals, allicin enhanced the antimicrobial activities of these substances and improved the antimicrobial efficacy. Hence, it is likely that combination therapy of allicin with additional antimicrobial drug(s) could serve as a viable alternative for combating rising antimicrobial resistance. This review focuses on the antimicrobial activities exhibited by allicin alone as well as in combination with other substances. The mechanisms of action of allicin elucidated by some of the studies are also highlighted in the present review in order to provide a comprehensive overview of this versatile bioactive compound and the mechanistic evidence supporting its potential use in antimicrobial therapy.

中文翻译：

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综述：大蒜素的抗菌特性可单独使用或与其他药物联合使用。

大蒜（大蒜）是一种众所周知的香料，因其药用特性而被广泛使用。关于大蒜对健康的许多有益影响的广泛记录可以追溯到最早的古埃及时代。大蒜研究最多的特性之一是其能够治愈某些由感染引起的疾病。在1940年代，首先报道了大蒜表现出的抗菌活性归因于大蒜素，大蒜素是一种从生大蒜中提取的挥发性化合物。从那以后，大蒜素因其对多种微生物的假定抑制活性而被广泛研究。大蒜素已证明偏爱于靶向微生物中的含硫醇的蛋白质和/或酶。它还显示出调节几种对微生物毒性至关重要的基因的能力。最近，据报道，与单独使用时相比，大蒜素与其他抗微生物药合用可能会更好地发挥作用。当与抗生素或抗真菌剂联合使用时，大蒜素增强了这些物质的抗菌活性，并提高了抗菌功效。因此，大蒜素与其他抗微生物药物的联合治疗可能可以作为对抗不断上升的抗微生物药物耐药性的可行替代方法。这篇综述着重于大蒜素单独以及与其他物质结合所表现出的抗菌活性。