Abstract
The study of vitamin biochemistry is still in a relatively early stage of development. The discovery of allithiamine in Japan gave a strong impetus to the study of thiamine as a potential therapeutic agent rather than a simple vitamin replacement. When it was discovered that allithiamine was a naturally occurring substance that is formed when thiamine combines with a principle in garlic bulbs, a massive research effort was mounted by Japanese investigators. This resulted in a range of synthetic derivatives which were demonstrated to have some remarkable properties. It is surprising that more use has not been made of this information. Little is known in the West about these compounds and this is the purpose of this review.