Effect of Yogurt on the Deodorization of Raw Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Sulfur Volatiles in Breath and the Roles of Its Components

Consumption of garlic leads to the persistence of “garlic breath” due to the presence of malodorous sulfur volatiles which may persist for as long as 24 h. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of yogurt and its components on the deodorization of garlic sulfur volatiles in breath and study the roles of these components in deodorization. Raw garlic was consumed with different treatments and at different times for breath analysis. Different components were mixed with the garlic for headspace analysis. Volatiles were measured using selected-ion flow-tube mass spectrometry. Consuming yogurt at the same time as garlic was more effective than consuming it before or after. Yogurt was the most effective at deodorization, followed by the emulsion, then protein or fat alone. Decreasing the pH of protein solutions increased deodorization because changes to the structure of the proteins exposed more binding sites for the volatiles, while decreasing the pH of water or fat had no effect on deodorization. Whey protein deodorized better than casein due to the presence of more cysteine binding sites for volatiles. This study proposes that the fat, protein, microbial culture, and water in yogurt have synergistic effects on the deodorization of garlic volatiles. This study’s findings can help in the development of novel products targeting sulfur volatiles, with broad applications for mitigating malodors produced by garlic.