AMS caused a delay in the appearance of the
optical density-monitored growth of A. pleuropneumoniae in medium when compared to
unaffected growth curves, yet without lowering the stationary phase yield at the
concentration range tested. At 1.1mM, 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.