Updated Insights on the Antimicrobial Activities of Allium Genus (A Review)

Species of the genus Allium across the world have several biological activities among which the antimicrobial activity. Among these species, we can find around the world: A. ursinum, A. sativum, A. roseum, A. kastambulense, A. stipitatum, A. hirtifolium, A. ascalonicum, A. cepa, A. fistulosum, A. tuberosum Rottler, A. orientale, A. triquetrum, A. hookeri, A. subhirsutum, and A. staticiform. Antimicrobial activities of raw juices, essential oils, aqueous extracts and extracts prepared with various solvents (ethanolic, methanolic, chloformic, dichloro methane, ethyl acetate) have been studied using bulbs, flowers, stems and leaves from different species. The fine analysis by LC-MS/MS and by GC-MS is indicative of the presence of bioactive sulfur and phenolic compounds in most of the extracts. The latter are responsible of their antimicrobial activities. The modes of action of these active compounds on microrganisms have been studied very thouroughly using scanning and transmission electron microscopies, and by mass spectophotometry MALDI-TOF as well as molecular docking.