Jin-Ichi Sasaki
Department of Emergency Medical Technology, Hirosaki University of Health and Welfare Junior College, Hirosaki 036-8104, Japan
Received: February 13, 2015 / Accepted: February 28, 2015 / Published: February 28, 2015.
Abstract: Newly developed black garlic had made a sensational debut with a strong anti-tumor potency proved by the mouse tumor
model in 2006 from our laboratory. At that time few researches on it have been conducted due to less popularity of the products even
among the researching field. Since then some of the bio-functional works of the black garlic gradually appeared along with gaining
of its popularity. Representative bio-activities reported up to now are: (1) enhancement of anti-tumor potency in the mouse tumor
model; (2) immune system enforcement, and suppressive act against allergic symptoms caused by decreasing IL-4 cytokine
production; (3) bacteria killing potency; (4) anti-oxidant activity; (5) reduction of carcinogenic potency; (6) lowering cholesterol
level and preventive work against obesity; (7) controlling high blood pressure; (8) beneficial effect against diabetics; (9) regenerative
effect to the burned skin (Clinical study case) et al. On the black garlic business (marketing), the Aomori Black Garlic Union
(Association) had been established in Aomori Prefecture to offer the citizen high quality, high safety and high security black garlic
(products) aiming at contribution for health improvement. All union members are now exerting themselves to the most to attain the
high quality production of the black garlic. The quality proving certification seal will be issued to the products that passed the quality
approval test by the third party inspections to place it on the their products. This system is now effectively working to guarantee the
garlic quality and differentiate the Union member’s products from others at the markets.
Key words: Black garlic, anti-tumor potency, anti-oxidant activity, anti-bacterial act, black garlic union, quality approval test.
1. Introduction
Citizen’s upsurge of interest is now toward the
functional foods with possible expectation to decrease
incidence of the lifestyle-related diseases by the
functions of the foods. The Ministry of Health and
Welfare in Japan has lately stated that the modification
of the daily diet style can lower the incidence of
variety of lifestyle-related diseases, eventually large
reduction of the government annual budget.
In 1999, the miracle vegetable with multi-biological
functions “Black garlic” was created by Japanese Mr.
Kamimura in Mie prefecture Japan [1], being
characteristic with sweet taste as a fruit, no pungent
odor, and directly edible just after peeling off outer
Corresponding author: Jin-Ichi Sasaki, Ph.D., professor,
research fields: microbiology, immunology, cancer
immunotherapy, food function. E-mail:
sasakij@jyoto-gakuen.ac.jp.
coat. It was really a revolution in the field of vegetable
and food world.
The number of the black garlic companies now
reaches over 500 just in Japan, and some of them
expand their business in building of black garlic
making plants in foreign countries. The black garlic is
easily creating just by controlling of temperature and
humidity with no use of additives in the conditioned
circumstances.
In 2006 we had first demonstrated presence of the
strong anti-tumor potency in the black garlic using a
mouse tumor model (Fig. 1). This report had much
accelerated the people’s healthy preference with hope
that they could control their health conditions just by
ingesting this miracle vegetable—black garlic.
Almost ten years have passed since the black garlic
function had been introduced in the newspaper, the
author overviewed the worldwide movements of the
DDAVID PUBLISHING
66 Overview of the Black Garlic Movement in the Fields of Research and Marketing
Fig. 1 Anti-tumor activity of the black garlic was reported
in Newspaper on the Mutsu Shinpo, March 22, 2006.
black garlic from both aspects of researches and new
business in this paper.
2. Historical Background of the Black Garlic
Concerning history of the black garlic appeared on
the home page of Web site [2], it is described likely
“Black garlic has gained popularity in Japan after a
research showing its health benefits was published in
2006 (Fig. 1). Researcher, Jiniti Sasaki, a professor at
Hirosaki University. The research showed that black
garlic reduced cancer cells in mouse. When the same
research was conducted using white garlic, it didn’t
have the same result”.
In the first edition of Wikipedia, the black garlic
was introduced likely that “Japanese had developed
black garlic in 2005”.
However in the revised edition this part of
descriptions was completely deleted, and started likely
“In Korea, black garlic was introduced as a health
product”. People therefore believe that the black garlic
was created by Korean. This incorrect information is
now spreading worldwide.
Black garlic creation was attained by Japanese Mr.
Kamimura in Mie Prefecture in 1999 as introduced
above, and he had acquired the manufacturing patent
of the black from the Japan Patent Office.
3. Survey of Black Garlic Researches and
the Related
Since the anti-tumor potency of the black garlic had
been introduced in the Newspaper 2006 (Fig. 1) and
published in journal 2007 [3], the citizens and
researchers have fascinated to the black garlic with
miracle bio-functions. Especially the post-operative
cancer patients have started to ingest expecting
metastasis prevention due to enforcement of NK cells
activity that had been reported in the animal test.
Currently the average people are making their own
black garlic as a hobby by using the electric-rice
cooker.
3.1 What’s the Black Garlic? Ugly but Delicious with
Beneficial Bio-functions
Here in a brief introduction of the black garlic’s
profile appeared at the black garlic home page [4].
“It is learned that the fermented black garlic was
made of selected fresh and high-quality raw garlic,
using Japanese unique professional approach and
carefully processed required for a month which
improve the nutrition of the garlic and eliminate the
unpleasant odor of garlic to make it easy to accept.
Fermented black garlic was researched by Mie
Fig. 2 Black garlic filled with multibio-functions.
Overview of the Black Garlic Movement in the Fields of Research and Marketing 67
Fig. 3 Feature of the high quality Japanese Garlic called
“White Six Cloves” (right) developed by Japanese
researcher, and Chinese garlic as reference (left). Japanese
one is easily recognizable by its size and number of cloves
inside.
Prefecture, Japan in 2003. Professor Sasaki Jin-Ichi,
the famous Japanese physician in School of Medicine
of Hirosaki University, proved through a mice
experiment that the active ingredient of black garlic
can improve immunity which has a strong inhibitory
on cancer cells”.
3.2 Bio-functions of the Black Garlic
Beneficial bio-functions of the black garlic were
briefly introduced below for understanding true
characters.
3.2.1 Tumor Therapeutic Potency Reported by the
Hirosaki University
The first report of the bio-functions on the black
garlic was independently issued in 2007 from the two
universities in Japan, the Hirosaki University [3]
(Table 1) and the Fujita Hoken Eisei University [5].
The Hirosaki University’s work was on the tumor
therapeutic act and the other was on the
anti-carcinogenic potency by the Fujita Hoken Eisei
University that was briefly introduced in the following
2-2-2 section in this text.
The boiled water extracts of the black garlic
attained 50% cure rate in the mouse model and
average tumor size of the non-cured mice was 47.5%
to that of control. By contrast the fresh garlic extracts
failed in deletion of transplanted tumor as shown in
Table 1, implying surely the presence of therapeutic
ingredients in the processed black garlic.
An osteopathic physician Dr. Joseph Mercola
introduced the experimental results in his home page
[4].
“Another little-known anecdote is that black garlic,
which is basically fermented garlic, may be even
healthier than other forms. In 2009 mouse study,
Japanese researchers found that black garlic was more
effective than fresh garlic in reducing size of tumors,
for instance. The study was published in the journal
Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Science and
Technology [3]. In another study, black garlic was
found to have twice the antioxidant levels as fresh
garlic-the aging/fermenting process appears to double
the antioxidants”.
3.2.2 Anti-carcinogenic Report from the Fujita
Hoken Eisei University in Japan
In 2007 another report on the anti-carcinogenic
activity of the black garlic was issued in the journal by
the Fijita Hoken Eisei University (Prof. Shimpo’s
research group) using the 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine
(DMH)-induced premalignant lesion model in the rat
colon [5]. The outcome was:
Table 1 Tumor therapeutic potency of the back garlic (extracts) against Meth AFibrosarcoma of Balb/c mouse.
Sample Dosage No cured/No mice used Tumor size of the non-cured against that of control
Black g. 1 mg 5/10 47.5%
Control (-) 0/5 100
(Reference)
Fresh g. 5 mg 0/5 64%
Control (-) 0/5 100
*Tumor transplanted mouse was treated by the test samples 3 times injection as therapy after tumor cells transplantation, and left
three weeks without further therapy till anti-tumor evaluation.
68 Overview of the Black Garlic Movement in the Fields of Research and Marketing
“In the 5% black garlic-fed group for 6 weeks,
numbers of premalignant lesion decreased compared
with those in the control group given DMH alone.
Feeding 5% black garlic to rats did not affect
hematological and serum biochemistry parameters in
the tested rats”.
The author presently considers that one of the major
ingredients for cancer therapeutic and
anti-carcinogenic activities is the SAC
(S-allyl-L-cysteine) that was created during the garlic
processing. This speculation does not necessarily deny
other elements association to fight cancer cells.
3.3 Immune System Boosting and Suppression of
Allergic Symptoms
In previous studies of the tumor therapeutic action
of the black garlic results suggested that anti-tumor
action could be led via an enhancement of the immune
system. To ascertain the presumption an additional
experiment was designed, and immune system
enhancement was surely confirmed in the black
garlic-fed mouse certainly raised as shown in Fig. 4,
along with increasing generation of the cytokine IFN,
TNF, NO, and IL-2 (not shown here) [6].
However cytokine IL-4 took different behavior by
decreasing its production in the black garlic-fed
mouse. Cytokine IL-4 promotes the proliferation and
differentiation of B-cells that eventually result in
enforcement of allergic symptoms by increasing
production of allergic antibody IgE. Lowering of IL-4
production (amount) probably represents the allergic
disease suppression. The experimental results in
mouse model were well corresponded with the
humans clinical cases. It is known that daily taking of
the black garlic improved the allergic symptoms in the
patients. Additional experiments should be designed
to answer this question.
3.4 Bacteria-Killing Potency
Anti-bacterial potency was admitted in the extracts
of the black garlic against MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus), enterohemorrhagic E. coli
O157, Pseudomonas spp. (a causative agent of
opportunistic infection), Candia albicans. However
bacteria killing potency was less than that of general
fresh garlic. Difference in its activity between them
Fig. 4 Increasing NK cells activity in the cell culture system constructed from the black garlic-fed mouse.
Days
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
0.00
.02
.04
.06
.08
.10
.12
.14
Cytotoxicity (%)
**
* *
Overview of the Black Garlic Movement in the Fields of Research and Marketing 69
（米国法人蓮見国際研究財団）
(HASUMI International Research Center in USA）
Fig. 5 NK cells fighting against tumor cell to create holes
that led tumor cell to death.
might be caused by different amount of volatile allicin
contained, which was powerful bacteria killing agent.
Great benefit of the black garlic is to have worked to
the drug resistant MRSA [3].
3.5 Antioxidant Act
Antioxidant either in the form of natural material
extracts or chemical constituents are very effective to
prevent the destructive process caused by oxidative
stress [7]. It is worth noting that the black garlic had
the strongest antioxidant properties among a large
number of medical plants and vegetables that
effectively work as anti-aging and anti-carcinogenic to
protect body from harmful chemical attacks (Table 2).
3.6 High Content of GABA in Black Garlic;
Improvement of Brain Disorder?
Lately the Aomori Prefectural Industrial
Technology Research Center in Japan had found the
high content of the GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) at
8-70mg/100gr in the processed black garlic. It
exceeded amount of the germinated brown rice known
as the highest content of the GABA at 10mg/100gr.
The compound GABA serves as a neurotransmitter
Table 2 Anti-oxidative potency of black garlic (*RS50%)
Sample Black Garlic Fresh Garlic
Japanese 4.1 mg 114.9 mg
Chinese 7.3 88.5
*Milligram used to reduce 50% of 1.1-diphenyl-2
picrylhydrazzy.
in central nervous system in humans, and deficiency
of it can cause various brain disorder such as
Parkinson disease et al [8]. Beneficial bio-functional
effects of the black garlic will be expected against the
central nervous disorder with no therapeutic or disease
preventive ways. Yet the common belief among
scientists is that GABA will not cross the blood brain
barrier, and not be carried in the brain. This kind of
urgent and critical important tasks will soon start at
the above center under the financial support of the
local government.
Additional new finding was that the pyroglutamic
acid that has amnesia-preventive action in rats,
improvement of learning in age-associated and
alcohol-induced memory loss [9] increased in the
black garlic by processing. These new information
provided encouraged the black garlic manufacturing
companies to do their best for their business.
3.7 Additional Major Bio-functions Reported up to
Now
Detoxification activity (Japan 2008);
Anti-fatigue effect in mouse experiment
(Pharmaceutical company Japan 2008)
Effect against acute alcohol-induced hangover
and chronic alcohol-induced liver injury (Korea
2009)
Decrease the cholesterol level and obesity of
body (Korea 2009)
Control high blood pressure (Australia 2010)
Regenerative of therapy of burn damaged skin
(Clinical study case Malaysia);
Liver protective effect (Korea 2010);
Control of diabetics and sugar disease (Korea
2010, India 2013).
70 Overview of the Black Garlic Movement in the Fields of Research and Marketing
Fig. 6 Higher content of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) in
the black garlic that works to reduce stress (March 28,
2014).
4. Clinical Case Reports from Clients
CASE 1: Oil painter Choo Keng Kwang, 81, has
been eating around half a bulb of black garlic for the
past few months. Mr. Choo who suffers from
psoriasis-a skin disease which results in itchy red
patches or flaky scales, decided to give the herb a try
after seeing a newspaper advertisement for it. He says
in Mandarin: “The effect was obvious. After three to
four days of consuming black garlic, the red patches
disappear. Previously, I’ve tried many skin creams
given by doctors and they were not effective”.
(www.hardwarezone.com.sg)
CASE 2: Singapore General Hospital dietitian Tan
Ai Shan says “Unlike fresh garlic, black garlic is
sweeter in taste. The pungent smell and spiciness in
fresh garlic is removed during the fermentation
process. She pointed to experiments conducted by
Japanese researchers in 2007 which suggest that black
garlic is more effective in reducing the size of tumor
in laboratory mice. The study was published in a
Global Science Book Journal about medicinal plant
science”.
(www.sgh.com.sg › Home › About Us › Newsroom)
CASE 3: Fermented garlic has greater health benefits
than the common varieties, says nutritionist Velumani
Deepapriva of the Singapore Nutrition and Dietrics
Association. “Especially in improving blood circulation
and increasing antioxidant levels in the body”. She adds.
(beforeitsnews.com/…/aged-black-garlic-a-new-superf
o)
CASE 4: Business consultant and part-time
marathon runner Edward Goh, 50, started eating black
garlic last June to lower in cholesterol level. His
cholesterol was high at 250 mg/dL. According to the
Singapore Heart Foundation’s guide lines, an average
adult should maintain his total cholesterol level at less
than 200 mh/dL.
(www.sgh.com.sg › Home › About Us › Newsroom)
CASE 5: Mr. Kondoin Guatapara Brazil made the
black garlic at home just to distribute his acquaintance
prepared by an electric rice-cooker. Local newspaper
introduced the black garlic as “Alho Negro” and
currently restaurant and supermarket have started to
deal in the black garlic. Mr. Kondo recently appears to
starte business as the black garlic dealer (Fig. 7).
(www.nikkeyshimbun.com.br/nikkey/html/show/12
0719-61colonia.html)
Headline; Kondo’s black garlic in Guatapara Brazil
showed ten times more of anti-oxidative activity than
that of general garlic.
5. Establishment of the Aomori Black Garlic
Union to Manufacture High Quality and
High Secure Black Garlic in Japan
On March 2006, the black garlic had made a
sensational debut in the field of foods via the Japanese
Newspapers and TV. Thereafter an increasing number
of companies started to manufacture the black garlic
as a new business using advantage of news reported
on the black garlic. Some companies had shifted their
black garlic plants from Japan to the oversea seeking
after inexpensive garlic and low-cost of labors.
Overview of the Black Garlic Movement in the Fields of Research and Marketing 71
Fig. 7 Japanese-Newspaper in Brazil reported black garlic production by the emigrant Mr. Kondo.
In connection with increase of companies, the
product-related troubles had occasionally occurred
likely to have used illegally agricultural chemicals that
were strictly controlled in our country. Japanese are
especially sensitive to these kinds of problems that
directly affect family member’s health. When
purchasing agricultural products at the supermarket
they first confirm the country of origin, and read
carefully data of chemical analysis placed on for
safety. Actually Japanese had experienced in the past
severe intoxication affair due to high contamination of
the illegal chemicals in the imported products.
Since then, the black garlic companies in Aomori
prefecture were considering establishment of “the
Aomori Black Garlic Union” to supply the safe
products to the citizens [10]. The member’s
companies in Union were making more of exertions to
fulfill the Union’s demands to gain citizen’s credit.
When their products are passed the Union’s inspection
organized by the third party examinees, the certificate
seal below will be given to the company to place on
their products (Fig. 8).
The quality inspection system is now effectively
working to guarantee the Aomori black garlic quality,
along with differentiation of the Union member’s
products from others. Home-made products currently
prevailed among citizens are heterogeneous in quality,
color, testy, and they are likely to be a half-raw
material (Fig. 9) due to the incomplete processing
manners. These sorts of the defectives are hard to eat
with the remained pungent odor, lacking of sweetness,
and will result in loss of the black garlic customers.
Fig. 8 “Authorized Warranty Emblem” issued by “Black
Garlic Society of Aomori”. This seal secures “Safety and
Security of the black garlic”.
72 Overview of the Black Garlic Movement in the Fields of Research and Marketing
Fig. 9 Insufficient processing manners created this sort of
defective (by Caroline Hatchett).
At that time of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
explosion, the radioactive contamination assessment
standard on foods had not enacted in Japan. After
plants explosion the rumor damages rapidly grew and
the citizens hesitated to purchase the agricultural and
fisheries products shipped from Fukushima and
neighboring prefectures [11]. Foreigners living in
Tokyo and around had evacuated immediately to the
home countries, and some of them never came back
again. To clear up the rumor damages of radioactive
pollution on foods the public inspection center started
to measure all foods before shipping to offer people
security with “the Radiological Testing Inspection
Certificates”. The black garlic was also not exception
Fig. 10 “Takko Shoji’s products” are served at cuisine of the 3 Star Hotel in German.
Fig. 11 Nuclear power plant explosion due to disorder of cooling system caused by Tsunami.
Overview of the Black Garlic Movement in the Fields of Research and Marketing 73
Fig. 12 Safety proof certificate issued by the government
authorized inspection center in Japan against the
radioactive pollution of the black garlic.
even in Aomori prefecture, where was located in 500
km north from Fukushima plants. The Union member’s
companies voluntarily measured radioactivity on their
products, and shipped to the markets along with the
safe certificate as shown in Fig. 12.
6. Discussion
The novel type of vegetable, the black garlic, rose
up its name among the citizens in both domestic and
foreign countries because of plenty of beneficial
bio-functions as listed in the text along with the
personal experiences. At the moment the black garlic
is less recognizable even among the scientific
researchers, and most of them know nothing about it.
However its popularity is increasing among the
citizens and scientists, and some scientists are
initiating experiments on the black garlic currently.
One of the latest new findings was the higher content
of the GABA (γ-amino-butyric acid) in the processed
black garlic.
This compound is critical important as a
neurotransmitter in central nervous system as
described above. Alzheimer and Dementia are
representative brain disorders at the aged. Deficiency
of GABA in brain causes various mental diseases as
anxiety disorders likely to be panic attacks, headaches,
Parkinson disease, and can also cause depression,
insomnia, and epilepsy. Japanese researchers lately
initiate bio-functional works of the black garlic for
restoration of the damaged nervous systems.
Researchers in broad areas should co-work to try to
find new functional ingredients in the natural product
[12] to overcome the intractable diseases such as
cancer, brain disorder et al.
Additionally ubiquitous urgent requirement in the
black garlic is the organization of the national and/or
international association to establish the safety
guideline of the products to avoid the unexpected
problems.
7. Conclusion
Present state of the novel vegetable “Black Garlic”
was reviewed from both aspects of scientific and
business fields. An increasing number of the black
garlic companies are now growing to cultivate their
market places around the world repeating the heat
competition. Excessive competition eventually
resulted in sales at low price of the defective products
in the markets by ignoring of safe and security of the
products. To avoid this kind of the problems
experienced in the past, the black garlic related
companies have to perform their duties
conscientiously to contribute to the nation’s health
promotion.
References
[1] “Fermented Black Garlic” (in Japanese). Accessed April
23, 2014. http://www.yojoan.com/page/3.
[2] Sato, Y. 2014. “Does Black Garlic a Day Keep the
Doctor away.” Accessed April 23, 2014.
www.Discoverjapannow.wordpress.com/…/does-black-g
arlic-a-day.
74 Overview of the Black Garlic Movement in the Fields of Research and Marketing
[3] Sasaki, J., Lu, C., Machiya, E., Tanahashi, M., and
Hamada, K. 2007. “Processed Black Garlic (Allium
sativum) Extracts Enhance Antitumor Potency Against
Mouse Tumors.” Medicinal and Aromatic Plant
Science and Biotechnology (Global Science Books) 1 (2):
278-81.
[4] Mercola, J. 2014. “Eating Garlic May Help Ward off
Colds and Flue-Health.” Accessed June 5, 2014.
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/…/garlic-benefi
ts.asp.
[5] Kaneko, T., Chihara, T., Beppu, H., Tomatsu, A., Sonoda
S., and Shimpo, K. 2007. “Inhibitory Effect of Fermented
Black Garlic on 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine-induced
Premalignant Lesion in the Rat Colon.” Fujita Gakuen
Igakkaishi (in Japanese) 31 (2): 143-7.
[6] Wang, D., Feng, Y., Liu, J., Yan, J., Wang, M., Sasaki, J.,
and Lu, C. 2010. Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Science
and Biotechnology (Global Science Books) 4 (2): 37-40.
[7] Zengin, G., Cakmak, Y. S., Guler, G. O., and Aktumsek,
A. 2011. “Antioxidant Properties of Methanolic Extract
and Fatty Acid Composition of Centaurea Urvillei DC.”
Rec Nat Prod 5: 123-32.
[8] Denver Naturopathic Clinic. 2015. “Gamma-Amino
Butyric Acid.” Accessed March 10, 2015.
www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/GABA.html.
[9] Akhilesh, K. A., and Bachhawat, A. K. 2012.
“Pyroglutamic Acid: Throwing Light on a Lightly
Studied Metabolitre.” Current Science 102 (2): 288-97.
[10] Aomori Black Garlic Association. 2013. “New Wave of
Garlic, Black Garlic.” Accessed June 20, 2014.
http://www.96229jp.com/bg/index.html.
[11] Sasaki, J. 2012. “Earthquake-Caused Tsunami, Infection
and Nuclear Plant Accident in Japan.” In Proceedings of
the First AFSSA Conference on Food Safety and Food
Security, 1-10.
[12] Sasaki, J. 2006. “Bioactive Phytocompounds and
Products Traditionally Used in Japan.” In Modern
Phytomedicine: Turning Medical Plants into Drugs,
edited by Ahmad, I., Aqil, F., and Owais, M.
WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KG aA.