JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL FOOD Volume 2, Number 2, 1999 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Chemical and Genetic Evaluation of Somaclonal Variants of Egyptian Garlic (Allium sativum L.) FARID A. BADRIA, Ph.D.1 and ABD-ALHAMEED A. ALI, Ph.D.2 ABSTRACT Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is used in the household and as an ingredient in many pharma¬ ceutical products. Tissue culture technique provides an excellent source for induction of both chemical and genetic variation in garlic. A callus was induced on root meristem cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium in the presence of kinetin, indole acetic acid, and 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Shoots with a small bulb were produced on medium containing MS salts, vitamins, and naphthalene acetic acid. Regenerated plants were transplanted into soil, and a nondivided bulb was formed in the first somaclonal generation (SCI). Plants were normal in their phenotypes in SC2. After four cycles of field cultivation, the selected so¬ maclones (variants) in the fourth generation showed significant differences in bulb character compared with the original plants. Mitotic division and chromosomal abnormalities were in¬ vestigated in meristimic root tip cells of regenerated plants for the first and fourth regenera¬ tion and for control plants. Somaclonal variant metaphase cells had the same chromosome number (2n = 16) as those of the controls. Allicin was measured quantitatively in the regen¬ erated clones by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that some clones contained as much as 14.50 mg/g allicin, compared with 3.80 mg/g in the control plant. This finding suggests that this technique may be useful to improve the allicin content of Egyptian garlic, which could be utilized as a good source for garlic-containing pharmaceuti¬ cal preparations. INTRODUCTION tion, and reduces acute myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis by lowering the blood cho- GARLic (allium sativum L.) has become in- lesterol content (Dalvi and Salunke, 1993; Agar- creasingly popular in recent years, not wal, 1996; Schaffer et al., 1996). Egyptian gar- only because of its unique flavor but also be- lie has some permanent traits, such as spice cause of its medicinal properties (Nagourney, characters. However, the large number of 1998). Garlic is known to be of therapeutic small-size cloves represents the worst trait, value for the treatment of infectious diseases Cultivated garlic is vegetatively propagated caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and proto- for commercial production. In this case, the zoa (Weber et al., 1992). It also possesses anti- crop improvement for both purposes (house- carcinogenic activity, inhibits platelet aggrega- hold and medicine) is very limited. Genetic ^harmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt 2Genetic Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafr El-Sheikh, University of Tanta, Egypt 39