Protective effect of S-allyl cysteine-enriched black garlic on reflux esophagitis in rats via NF-κB signaling pathway

The present study was conducted to determine whether black garlic (BG) which is aged by pectinase treatment with high hydrostatic pressure processing has the protective effects in experimental model of acute reflux esophagitis (RE). BG was orally administered at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight 2 h prior to induction of RE, and the effects were compared with those of raw garlic (RG). Esophageal pathological changes were analyzed using gross and histological examinations. The anti-oxidant and inflammatory protein levels were determined using western blotting. Moreover, RE-induced histological change was markedly suppressed by BG rather than RG. The reduced catalase was increased significantly by BG supplementation; however, superoxide dismutase levels showed a tendency to increase in the esophagus. Overall, the ameliorative effects of BG were superior to those when RG. These data reveal that that BG treatment ameliorates the development of esophagitis via regulation of NF-kappa B mediated inflammation.