Mini-Review: Allicin as a Potential Neuroprotective Compound in Neurological Disorders

In recent years, allicin has received extensive attention in the field of neuroprotection. This mini-review summarizes the extraction, detection, synthesis, toxicity, novel drug delivery systems of allicin and its research progress in neurological diseases. We found that allicin can exert neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, cerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage by inhibiting oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis, regulating mitochondrial function, and improving blood-brain barrier integrity. However, current studies are mostly limited to animal experiments and lack high-quality clinical research evidence. Additionally, the unstable chemical properties and low bioavailability of allicin have limited its clinical translation. In the future, more randomized controlled clinical trials should be conducted and new delivery systems should be developed to improve its stability and targeting. This mini-review aims to provide a theoretical basis for further research and application of allicin in neurological diseases.