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Syzygium Aromaticum.
Plant parts used: Unopened flower buds.
Description:
The clove is an evergreen tree, 15 to 30 feet tall. 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 is
the dried flower bud. The fruit is a one- or two-seeded berry.
Chemical Composition:
One of the main constituents of clove oil (eugenol) exhibits broad antimicrobial activites agains both Gram-
positive, Gram-negative and acid-fact bacteria, as well as fungi (*3, *4).
Medicinal properties:
The eugenol in clove is the responsible for the antimicrobial actions. It has been shown effective in
inhibiting food-borne pathogens as well as other bacteria and fungi(12). The volatile oil of cloves (about 85-
92% eugenol) was highly active against a range of test microorganisms, being classified as bactericidal in
nature (13). the German Commission E Monographs list cloves as having antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal
and antiviral properties (*1, *2).
Cloves are well known also for their antiemetic (relieves nausea and vomiting) and carminative properties
(*3, *4, *5, *6 ). Traditionally cloves have been used to treat flatulence, nausea and vomiting.
Cloves were taken over the centuries for diarrhea, most liver, stomach and bowel ailments, and as a
stimulant for the nerves (*7).
Contraindication:
Cloves are generally regarded as safe when taken orally and appropriately for medicinal uses, and as a
short-term topical application. Cloves are regarded as unsafe when inhaled, and clove cigarettes contain
properties more damaging than many tobacco varieties.
References:
1. Blumenthal M, et. al. ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal
Medicines. Austin: American Botanical Council, 1998.
2. Gruenwald J, et.al. PDR for Herbal Medicines. First Edition. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company,
Inc., 1998.
3. Lueng AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Foord, Drugs and Cosmetics.
Second Edition. New York, NY: Wiley & Sons, 1996.
4. Bisset NG. ed. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Translated from Second Edition. Boca Raton: CRC
Press, 1994.
5. The British Pharmacopoeia (2001), Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London.
6. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1996). Fourth Edition. British Herbal Medicine Association Scientific
Committee, West Yorks, England.
7. Gordon L. A Country Herbal. Devon, England: Webb & Bower (Publishers) Ltd. 1980.
