Block's group is very actively involved in an area broadly described as Allium chemistry, e.g. the analysis, isolation, spectroscopy, synthetic and mechanistic organosulfur chemistry, clinical trials of garlic supplements, development of garlic- and onion-oil based pesticides and other applied work on onion, garlic and related, economically important plants including the little studied ramps (Allium tricoccum). An overview of garlic chemistry is shown. A book, Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science, will be published by the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2009. Some representative publications on this subject by the author include:
- Archives of Internal Medicine: "The Effect of Raw Garlic vs Garlic Supplements on Plasma Lipids Concentrations in Adults with Moderate Hypercholesterolemia : A Randomized Clinical Trial", 2007, 167, 346-353.
- Acta Horticulturae: "Biological Activity of Allium Compounds: Recent Results", 2005, 688, 41-58. http://www.actahort.org/books/688/688_4.htm
- J. Agric. Food Chem.: "Aversion of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to Garlic Oil Treated Granules: Garlic Oil as an Avian Repellent", 2004, 52, 2192-2196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf035181d
- Cancer Research: "Characterization of the Biological Activity of gamma-Glutamyl-Se-methylselenocysteine: A Novel Naturally Occurring Anticancer Agent from Garlic", 2001, 61, 2923-2928.
- J. Agric. Food Chem.: "Chemical Speciation Influences Comparative Activity of Selenium-Enriched Garlic and Yeast in Mammary Cancer Prevention", 2000, 48, 2062-2070. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf000051f
- Functional Foods for Disease Prevention II: "Garlic as a Functional Food: A Status Report", ACS Symposium Series 702, T. Shibamoto, J. Terao, T. Osawa, Ed., American Chemical Society, Washington DC, 1998, pp 125-143.
- Phytochemistry: "Allium Chemistry: Identification of Organosulfur Compounds in Ramp (Allium tricoccum) Homogenates", 1998, 49, 359-364. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(98)00191-5
- J. Agric. Food Chem.: "Allium Chemistry: Supercritical Fluid Extraction and LC-APCI-MS of Thiosulfinates and Related Compounds from Homogenates of Garlic, Onion and Ramp. Identification in Garlic and Ramp and Synthesis of 1-Propanesulfinothioic Acid S-Allyl Ester", 1997, 45, 4406-4413. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf970314e
- J. Agric. Food Chem.: "Allium Chemistry: Synthesis of 1-(Alk(en)ylsulfinyl)-propyl Alk-(en)-yl Disulfides (Cepaenes), Antithrombotic Flavorants from Homogenates of Onion (Allium cepa)", 1997, 45, 4414-4422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf9705126
- J. Am. Chem. Soc.: "Allium Chemistry: Microwave Spectroscopic Identification, Mechanism of Formation, Synthesis, and Reactions of (E,Z)-Propanethial S-Oxide, the Lachrymatory Factor of the Onion (Allium cepa)", 1996, 118, 7492-7501.
- J. Am. Chem. Soc.: "Allium Chemistry: Structure, Synthesis, Natural Occurrence in Onion (Allium cepa), and Reactions of 2,3-Di-meth-yl-5,6-di-thi-a-bi-cy-clo-[2.1.1]-hexane S-Oxides", 1996, 118, 2790-2798. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja951134t
- J. Am. Chem. Soc.: "Allium Chemistry: Synthesis and Sigmatropic Rearrangements of Alk(en)yl 1-Propenyl Disulfide S-Oxides from Cut Onion and Garlic", 1996, 118, 2799-2810. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja953444h
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English: "The Organosulfur Chemistry of the Genus Allium - Implications for Organic Sulfur Chemistry" 1992, 31, 1135-1178.
- Scientific American: "The Chemistry of Garlic and Onions", 1985, 252, 114-9.