CHAPTER 10: Clove (Syzygium aromaticum, Eugenia aomaticum, Eugenia caryophyllata)

Clove is a warm, pungent aromatic dried nail-shaped spice used in cooking, religious practices and to make jewellery. The flowers are fragrant and ornamental, and the essential oil of cloves is used for medicinal purposes in cosmetics, oral hygiene preparations, soaps and perfumes. Research on this spice, which comes mainly out of Asia, although studies from Europe and North Africa have also been published, is focussed mainly on its anti-microbial properties. Literature on its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, glucose lowering, anti-diabetic, lipid lowering, cardioprotective, chemopreventive/anti-cancer and hepato-protective is available, although it is mainly limited to in vitro and animal studies. There is also a small amount of research on clove's gastroprotective, analgesic, wound healing and anti-ulcerative properties.