Bactericidal Effects of Vapors from Crushed Garlic on Mycobacterium leprae.

Abstract

Walton, Herbold, and Lindegren 1 showed that the vapors from freshly crushed garlic were germicidal to certain organisms. The present paper reports the effects of these vapors on different strains of acid-fast and non-acid fast Mycobacterium leprae.

Petri dishes containing 3% glycerin nutrient agar were warmed in an incubator at 37.5°C. for about 2 hours and a heavy suspension of organisms was then spread on the agar. After inoculation, one gram of garlic, freshly ground in a meat-chopper, was placed on the inverted cover of the petri dish below (but not in contact with) the agar. The dish was sealed with a large rubber band and placed in the incubator at 37.5°C. The fumes from the garlic were allowed to fill the air-space below the agar surface. The amount of volatile substances transported to the agar was varied by exposing the agar to the fumes of the garlic for different lengths of time. Intervals of from one minute to 2 hours were used. At the end of each interval, the dish was removed from the incubator and the cover containing the garlic replaced by a sterile cover. Then the dish was returned to the incubator and after 3 days’ incubation the amounts of growth on the various plates were compared (Table I). The heaviest growth was given a score of 4. If the treated plates showed about three-fourths of this amount, they were scored 3; if about one-half, they were scored 2; if about one-fourth, they were scored 1; if no growth occurred, they were scored 0.

A non-acid-fast yellow strain of M. leprae obtained from Dr. T. D. Beckwith, a non-acid-fast orange strain from Dr. J. F. Kessel, and an acid-fast yellow strain from the American Type Culture Collection were used.