A Comparative Study of Black and White Allium sativum L.: Nutritional Composition and Bioactive Properties

Garlic (<i>Allium sativum</i> L.) has been used worldwide not only for its being a subject of dietary interest, but also for medicinal purposes, in prophylaxis, and for the treatment of diverse pathologies. New processing techniques have been developed and placed on the market in recent years to improve the organoleptic and nutritional value of food products. The present work aimed to study bulbils (cloves) of white (commercial and traditionally cultivated samples with different proveniences) and black (processed samples) garlic. All samples were compared with regard to their nutritional composition as well as their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Black garlic had the lowest moisture content but the highest total amount of sugars and energetic value. Black garlic also presented the highest antioxidant and antimicrobial (especially against methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>) activities. Thus, black garlic, obtained by processing techniques, can be considered a promising product with high value that will be able to be exploited by the functional food/nutraceutical industry.