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Garlic: Natural Insect Repellent Benefits

Garlic is a low-growing herb that reaches 60 cm high and contains bulbs made of several tubers. When garlic is crushed or chopped, it releases a compound called allicin from an amino acid, giving off a strong odor. This odor repels many insects when absorbed by other plants. The garlic treatment gives off an odor that repels insects but does not affect humans. Garlic also contains compounds that have antibacterial and antifungal properties against many harmful microbes.

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Mara Ella Campo
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4 views1 page

Garlic: Natural Insect Repellent Benefits

Garlic is a low-growing herb that reaches 60 cm high and contains bulbs made of several tubers. When garlic is crushed or chopped, it releases a compound called allicin from an amino acid, giving off a strong odor. This odor repels many insects when absorbed by other plants. The garlic treatment gives off an odor that repels insects but does not affect humans. Garlic also contains compounds that have antibacterial and antifungal properties against many harmful microbes.

Uploaded by

Mara Ella Campo
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

INTRODUCTION

Bawang or garlic (Allium sativum) is a low herb which only grows up to sixty centimeters
high. Its leaves are flat and linear, with bulbs that consist of several tubers. Garlic makes a powerful
natural insect repellent. It can be used to repel a variety of crawling and flying insects, including
mosquitoes. Garlic bulbs contain an amino acid that converts to a substance called Allicin when crushed,
blended or chopped. The characteristic odor released as a result of this process has powerful properties.
When garlic extract is absorbed by a plant, biochemical changes take place in its foliage which cause it to
actively repel insects.

Plants are provided with a long-lasting case of “garlic breath” that causes insects to
move elsewhere. However, the treatment is odorless to humans within minutes of application. Insects
are naturally repulsed by the presence of the botanical extract. Therefore, they do not build up a
resistance to garlic treatments. Garlic preparations having allyl sulfide show antibacterial activity against
both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria like Bacillus, Clostridium, Eschirichia, Klebsiella, Proteus,
Salmonella and Streptococcus and antifungal activities against Candida albicans.

Garlic bulbs contain a number of active compounds especially Sulphur containing


compounds which are responsible for the pharmacological activities.

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