Wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.) is a herbaceous perennial that is botanically classified in the Alliaceae family, in the genus Allium. In Slovenia, wild garlic is present in almost the entire territory of the country. Wild garlic has been used in traditional medicine for centuries because of its bioactive compounds. Today, in addition to its use in modern pharmacy, it is also widespread in cooking. All parts of the plant (leaves, stems, flowers and bulbs) are edible, but the leaves are the richest source of substances with bioactive activity. The most studied groups of chemicals contained in wild garlic are: sulfur compounds, phenolic compounds, triterpenoids, carotenoids, chlorophylls, tocopherols and proteins lectins. The high content od vitamins A, E and C in wild garlic leaves is especially important for human nutrition. The therapeutic effects of wild garlic are attributed mainly to sulfur compounds, and due to their content, wild garlic has a characteristic smell and taste. Phenolic compounds are present in wild garlic to a large extent and have antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic effects. Due to all these properties, wild garlic has great potential in modern pharmacy and is the subject of many recent researches. However, large amounts of ingested wild garlic can be expressed in the occurrence of hemolytic anemia caused by sulfide compounds. In addition, there are known cases of allergic reactions to sulfides and allicin.
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