AUTHOR=Liu Jingbo , Zhang Guangwei , Cong Xiaoqiang , Wen Chengfei 

TITLE=Black Garlic Improves Heart Function in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease by Improving Circulating Antioxidant Levels

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2018

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.01435

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2018.01435

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=Background
Black garlic has many health-promoting properties. 
Objectives
We aimed to explore the clinical effects of black garlic on chronic heart failure (CHF) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).
Design
The main components of black garlic were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and its antioxidant properties were determined by the clearance rate of free radicals. One hundred twenty CHF patients caused by CHD were randomly and evenly assigned into black garlic group (BG) and placebo group (CG)．The duration of treatment was 6 months．Cardiac function was measured according to The New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system. The following parameters were measured, including walking distance, BNP precursor N-terminal (Nt-proBNP), left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) value and the scores of quality of life (QOL). The circulating antioxidant levels were compared between two groups.
Results
There are 27 main compounds in black garlic with strong antioxidant properties. Black garlic treatment improved cardiac function when compared with controls (P < 0.05)．The QOL scores and LVEF values were higher in the BG group than in the CG group while the concentration of Nt-proBNP was lower in the BG group than in the CG group (P < 0.05). Circulating antioxidant levels were higher in the BG group than in the CG group. Antioxidant levels had positive relation with QOL and LVEF values, and negative relation with Nt-proBNP values.
Conclusion
Black garlic improves the quality of life, Nt-proBNP and LVEF in CHF patient with CHD by increasing antioxidant levels．