Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Jun 6;17(6):6953-81.
doi: 10.3390/molecules17066953.

Eugenol--from the remote Maluku Islands to the international market place: a review of a remarkable and versatile molecule

Guy P Kamatou  1 , Ilze Vermaak, Alvaro M Viljoen
Affiliations
Review

Eugenol--from the remote Maluku Islands to the international market place: a review of a remarkable and versatile molecule

Guy P Kamatou et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Eugenol is a major volatile constituent of clove essential oil obtained through hydrodistillation of mainly Eugenia caryophyllata (=Syzygium aromaticum) buds and leaves. It is a remarkably versatile molecule incorporated as a functional ingredient in numerous products and has found application in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, fragrance, flavour, cosmetic and various other industries. Its vast range of pharmacological activities has been well-researched and includes antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-oxidant and anticancer activities, amongst others. In addition, it is widely used in agricultural applications to protect foods from micro-organisms during storage, which might have an effect on human health, and as a pesticide and fumigant. As a functional ingredient, it is included in many dental preparations and it has also been shown to enhance skin permeation of various drugs. Eugenol is considered safe as a food additive but due to the wide range of different applications, extensive use and availability of clove oil, it is pertinent to discuss the general toxicity with special reference to contact dermatitis. This review summarises the pharmacological, agricultural and other applications of eugenol with specific emphasis on mechanism of action as well as toxicity data.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The dried flowerbuds of Eugenia caryophyllata, known as cloves.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The major clove producers of the world are the West Indies, Madagascar, Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structure of eugenol.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Zheng G.Q., Kenney P.M., Lam L.K.T. Sesquiterpenes from clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) J. Nat. Prod. 1992;55:999–1003. doi: 10.1021/np50085a029. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bulbeck D., Reid A., Tan L.C., Wu Y. Southeast Asian Exports Since the 14th Century: Cloves, Pepper, Coffee, and Sugar. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies; Singapore: 1998.
    1. Chomchalow N. Spice production in Asia–An overview; Presented at IBC Asian Spice Markets Conference. Singapore; May 27–28, 1996.
    1. Hartnoll G., Moore D., Douek D. Near fatal ingestion of oil of cloves. Arch. Dis. Child. 1993;69:392–393. doi: 10.1136/adc.69.3.392. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barceloux D.G. Medical Toxicology of Natural Substances. Foods, Fungi, Medicinal Herbs, Plants and Venomous Animals. Wiley; Hoboken, NJ, USA: 2008.

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources