Abstract: In order to study redox regulation by allicin in typical tumor cells, an oxidative stress model was established using HeLa cells with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). Using response surface methodology based on central composite design, it was found that the intracellular ROS level in HeLa cells was not be significantly up-regulated after incubation with 10 mg/L allicin for 24 h. Considering that the redox level in the body is in complex dynamic changes, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) as redox biomarkers in HeLa cells treated with different concentrations of allicin were determined, and a comprehensive mathematical model based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was established to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of HeLa cells. The results showed that SOD and GSH-Px may play major roles in the regulation of ROS in HeLa cells by allicin, and HeLa cells scored highest in antioxidant capacity evaluation after incubation with 10 mg/L allicin for 24 h, which was consistent with the results of the response surface model. Finally, by measuring the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) in each group, it was shown that the regulation of antioxidant capacity by allicin was related to its ability to protect and repair lipid peroxidation-induced DNA damage in cells, which was correlated with the comprehensive evaluation results. The application of a variety of mathematical analysis methods to study the regulation of allicin on the redox level of HeLa cells can overcome the difficulties encountered in research on complex biological systems. The results of this study provide a basis for further research on the mechanism of action of allicin in protecting cells from PMA-induced oxidative damage.

Key words: allicin; redox; redox biomarkers; response surface methodology; analytic hierarchy process