Oil of clove explained

Oil of clove, also known as clove oil or eugenol, is an essential oil extracted from the clove plant, Syzygium aromaticum.[1] [2] Clove oil is commonly used in aromatherapy and for flavoring food, tea, and toothpaste.[2] [3] In alternative medicine, it may be used as a topical medication to relieve toothache.[1] [3] [4] There is insufficient medical evidence to support its use as an analgesic for treating pain.[1] [3]

Madagascar and Indonesia are the main producers of clove oil.[5]

Types and phytochemicals

There are three types of clove oil:[5]

Distilled clove oil from buds contains mixed phytochemicals, including as main constituents phenylpropanoids (primarily eugenol), carvacrol, thymol, and cinnamaldehyde, with smaller quantities of polyphenols, carbohydrates, lipids, oleanolic acid, and rhamnetin.[1]

Human health

Toxicity

Clove oil is toxic in anything other than small therapeutic doses,[1] and several cases of acute liver and kidney damage have been reported, principally in children.[2] In foods, the level of clove oil used as a flavor ingredient does not exceed 0.06%, and is considered safe.[1]

Toothache

Particularly in South Korea and India, eugenol, an aromatic compound extracted from clove oil, is used in alternative medicine to relieve toothache.[6] Applied to a cavity in a decayed tooth or tooth socket remaining after extraction, eugenol or clove oil may relieve toothache temporarily.[6] There is insufficient scientific evidence that eugenol is effective for treating dental pain.[2] [3]

Other uses

Eugenol is a reliable source for producing natural vanillin (by the US definition). It is a versatile molecule, which can be converted to vanillin with a few simple steps of conversion through the use of naturally available phytochemicals.

Clove oil is commonly used to anesthetize or euthanize laboratory or pet fish.[7] [8]

Clove oil is a component of choji oil, which was traditionally used for the maintenance of Japanese swords.[9] [10]

Regulation

In Germany, Commission E permits the sale and administration of clove oil for use in alternative medicine.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Clove . Drugs.com . 28 April 2024 . 8 May 2023.
  2. Web site: Eugenol (clove oil) . LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases . 28 October 2019 . 31869191 .
  3. Web site: Clove . MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, US National Institutes of Health. 25 October 2021. 28 April 2024.
  4. Web site: Clove Oil BP . medicines.org.uk . 21 January 2022 . 3 July 2020.
  5. Encyclopedia: Lawless, J. . The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism . The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils . 1995 . 978-1-85230-661-8 .
  6. Book: Chung G, Oh SB . Natural Products. Springer-Verlag Berlin; In: Natural Products - Phytochemistry, Botany and Metabolism of Alkaloids, Phenolics and Terpenes; Part XIV. 4001–4015. 2013. 10.1007/978-3-642-22144-6_171. 978-3-642-22144-6. Eugenol as Local Anesthetic.
  7. Book: Gary Kent Ostrander. The Laboratory Fish. 2000. Elsevier. 978-0-12-529650-2. 508–.
  8. Book: Gary West. Darryl Heard. Nigel Caulkett. Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia. 21 July 2014. Wiley. 978-1-118-79286-5. 249–.
  9. Book: Nagayama, Kōkan. The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords. 1997. Kodansha International. 978-4-7700-2071-0. en.
  10. Web site: Glossary. 2021-09-20. Samurai Museum.
  11. Book: Rister . R. . Klein . S. . Riggins . C. . The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines . 1st . American Botanical Council . 1998-08-15 . 112 . 978-0-9655555-0-0 .

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