Syzygium aromaticum
Part Used: Dried flower bud
Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is an evergreen tree, 15 to 30 feet tall, native to the Spice Islands and the Philippines but also grown in India, Sumatra, Jamaica, the West Indies, Brazil, and other tropical areas. It has opposite, ovate leaves more than 5 inches long; and its flowers, when allowed to develop, are red and white, bell-shaped, and grow in terminal clusters. The familiar "clove" used in the kitchen is the dried flower bud. The fruit is a one- or two-seeded berry. Cloves are the unopened pink flower buds of the evergreen Clove tree. Although Cloves have a very hard exterior, their flesh features an oily compound that is essential to their nutritional and flavor profile. They have a warm, sweet and aromatic taste that evokes the sultry tropical climates where they are grown. Clove oil is 60 to 90 percent Eugenol. It is the primary component of Clove which functions as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antbacterial and local anesthetic substance. Historically, Clove has been used as effective anodyne, antiemetic, and antiseptic.
Clove contains significant amounts of an active component called Eugenol, which has made it the subject of numerous health studies, including studies on the prevention of toxicity from environmental pollutants like carbon tetrachloride, digestive tract cancers, and joint inflammation. In the United States, Eugenol extracts from Clove have often been used in dentistry in conjunction with root canal therapy, temporary fillings, and general gum pain, since Eugenol and other components of clove (including beta-caryophyllene) combine to make Clove a mild anaesthetic as well as an anti-bacterial agent. Clinical trials assessing monotherapy of Clove are limited, although the expert panel German Commission E has approved the use of clove as a topical antiseptic and anesthetic. Other uses for Clove, such as premature ejaculation, dry socket, and fever reduction lack reliable human clinical evidence.
References:
WHO Foods. http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=69
Holistic Online. http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h218.htm
