What is alliin?
Alliin, an ingredient with CAS number 556-27-4, is not so popular with the public. Alliin seems to only appear in scientific literature. Even when you type alliin in the search engine, Google will show most everything pointing to allicin.
In fact, alliin is not allicin since they have different structures and CAS numbers. However, they are connected, and both are related to garlic. Yeah, that is right, just the odorous garlic in the kitchen. When fresh garlic is chopped or crushed, an enzyme called alliinase converts alliin into allicin.
Alliin is the most abundant organosulfur compound in the whole garlic bulbs. Allicin’s IUPAC name is (2R)-2-amino-3-[(S)-prop-2-enylsulfinyl]propanoic acid, with other names as 2-propene-1-sulfinothioic acid S-2-propenyl ester, thio-2-propene-1- sulfinic acid S-allyl ester, diellyl disulfide-oxide, diallyl thiosulfinate, S-Allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide, etc.
In most scientific documents, alliin is often named by researchers as S-allyl-cysteine sulfoxide (ACSO for short), S-allyl cysteine sulphoxide, or S-allylcysteine sulfoxide. Cima is among the first manufacturers of bulk alliin powder in China, even all over the world. The name S-allyl-cysteine sulfoxide is too hard to be pronounced or memorized. Therefore, alliin is the ideal name for the commercial name, and we will use alliin in the rest of the article.
Alliin VS allicin comparisons
According to Wikipedia, alliin, a derivative of the amino acid cysteine, is a sulfoxide that is a natural constituent of fresh garlic. Well, allicin doesn’t exist abundantly in fresh garlic. This is the first difference.
As mentioned before, when fresh garlic is chopped or crushed, an enzyme called alliinase converts alliin into allicin. This is their connection. Alliin is the precursor of allicin. Alliinase is abundant in garlic tissue, consisting of at least 10% of the total clove protein.
Let’s talk about stability.
Alliin and the enzyme alliinase are quite heat stable. Alliin and alliinase are also stable when dry and therefore dried powders can potentially preserve the biological activity of garlic.
However, normal allicin is not stable. Allicin molecules have a very short half-life, as they react with many surrounding proteins. Allicin is further metabolized to vinyldithiines. Allicin decomposes into other sulfur-containing molecules (thiosulfonates and disulfides). This breakdown occurs within hours at room temperature and within minutes during cooking. In this sense, natural allicin in the chopped or crushed garlic is not stable, and could not be utilized as a supplement for bulk usage. Therefore, stabilized allicin is a must. You will find that most nutritional facts label of supplements containing allicin says that their allicin is stabilized allicin. Non-stabilized allicin is useless.
About odor and popularity
Alliin is odorless and less known to the consumers.
Natural allicin has a very distinct odor and is responsible for the aroma of fresh garlic.
Most allicin supplements have been deodorized, and no smell can be found.
Many medicinal effects of garlic products are probably, or at least partly, attributable to alliin, whereas the extent that which alliin contributes to the beneficial function of garlic is not quite clear. Systematic studying of the nutraceutical or medicinal effect of alliin is lacking.
Main components of garlic
Alliin is part of garlic, and what else ingredients are in garlic?
Garlic is a species in the onion genus, Allium, with the Latin name Allium sativum. The quality of fresh garlic and garlic products is usually related to their alliin content and allicin release potential.
Garlic, native to China, has been used both as a food flavoring and as a traditional medicine for more than 5000 years, and now 80% of the world’s supply of garlic is from China.
Various factors are involved and affect the chemical composition of garlic, such as genotype, growing conditions, irrigation, fertilization, etc. In this sense, we will not list the exact percentages of compounds in the garlic, just a brief introduction.
Garlic is believed to contain at least 33 sulfur compounds, several enzymes, 17 amino acids, and minerals such as selenium. It contains a higher concentration of sulfur compounds than any other Allium species. The sulfur compounds are responsible both for garlic’s pungent odor and for many of its medicinal effects. Dried, powdered garlic contains approximately 1% alliin (S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide). One of the most biologically active compounds, allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate or diallyl disulfide), does not exist in garlic until it is crushed or cut; injury to the garlic bulb activates the enzyme alliinase, which metabolizes alliin to allicin.
The content of alliin in garlic can vary considerably due to garlic variety but also production practices.
Alliin powder pricing
If you are trying alliin in your supplement formula and want to know the alliin pricing and where to buy alliin in large quantities, you come to the right place.
Wuxi Cima Science Co., Ltd is a professional manufacturer of nutritional raw ingredients specializing in garlic active ingredient series products, such as alliin, allicin, ajoene, etc. Commercial production and ready stock are available.
Our alliin is in raw powder form, 98% min, packed in 25kg per drum.
Your inquiry regarding price, COA, MSDS, MOA, flow chart, etc will be answered within 12 hours.
