ASSESSMENT OF GARLIC (ALLIUM SATIVUM LINN.)-DERIVED BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FOR ANTIOXIDANT AND SKIN-LIGHTENING ACTIVITY

Deepak P., Dhanush A., Rahul A., Omega K., Krishnaveni R., Varalakshmi R., Ragul V.*

ABSTRACT

The present study aims to assess the potential of olive oil-infused garlic (Allium sativum Linn.) as a natural skin-lightening agent and to compare its activity with kojic acid, a commonly used skin-lightening compound. Garlic is a rich source of biologically active constituents, including sulfur-containing compounds, phenolics, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals that may exhibit antioxidant and skin-beneficial properties. In this study, garlic will be appropriately prepared and extracted to obtain its beneficial bioactive constituents. The resulting extract will be subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening to identify major classes of phytochemicals present. Its antioxidant potential will be evaluated using standard in vitro antioxidant assays to determine its free-radical-scavenging activity. The skin-lightening potential of the garlic extract will then be assessed and compared with that of kojic acid under suitable experimental conditions. The study will focus on determining whether the antioxidant and phytochemical properties of garlic contribute to its potential depigmenting activity. Experimental results obtained from the garlic extract and kojic acid will be statistically analysed to identify significant differences in their skin-lightening effects and to evaluate the overall efficacy of the garlic preparation. The findings are expected to provide scientific evidence regarding the possible use of olive oil-infused garlic as a natural and potentially safer alternative to conventional skin-lightening agents. This study may contribute to the development of plant-based cosmetic formulations and encourage further investigation into garlic-derived compounds for dermatological and cosmetic applications.

Keywords: Allium sativum Linn, hyperpigmentation, skin-lightening, kojic acid.