AMS impaired the in vitro growth rate of A.
pleuropneumoniae serotype 9 by 8% compared to unimpeded growth. In an animal trial, a
garlic-fed group of 15 pigs that received a diet with 5% garlic feed component and a control
group of 15 pigs that received a diet without garlic were infected with A. pleuropneumoniae
serotype 2 via an aerosol and subsequently followed for 4 days. At the day of the challenge,
blood AMS in the garlic-fed group amounted to 0.32 0.13 mM. A beneficial, alleviating
effect of garlic on the course and severity of an A. pleuropneumoniae infection in pigs was
indicated by the reduced occurrence of characteristic pleuropneumonia lesions (27% of the
lungs affected in the garlic-fed group vs. 47% in the control group) and a near to significant
(p = 0.06) lower relative lung weight post mortem in the garlic-fed group.