Botanical Index No. 271

Cloves

syzygium aromaticum

Medicinal Actions

Analgesic, Anesthetic, Anthelminthic, Antiaggregant, Antialzheimeran, Antiarthritic, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Anticonvulsant, Antidote, Antiemetic, Antiherpetic, Antihistaminic, Antiinflammatory, Antimutagenic, Antinitrosating, Antioxidant, Antiperspirant, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Antiviral, Candidicide, Carminative, Counterirritant, Deodorant, Digestive, Expectorant, Fungicide, Larvicide, Parasympaticolytic, Peristaltic, Stimulant, Stomachic, Tonic, Trichomonicide, Colic

Primary Conditions Treated

Insectifuge Rubefacient Tranquilizer Trypsin-Potentiator Vasodilator Vermifuge Alzheimer’s Anorexia Arthrosis Aspergillus Athlete’s Foot Bacteria Bronchosis Bug Bite Bunion Callus Cancer Candida Caries Childbirth Cholera Cold Convulsion Cough Cramp Dermatosis Diarrhea Dyspepsia Enterosis Escherichia Fever Fungus Gas Gastrosis Gingivosis Halitosis Headache Heart Hernia Herpes Hiccup Infection Infertility Inflammation Maculosis Mucososis Myalgia Mycosis Nausea Nervousness Ophthalmia Pain Pharyngosis Phthisis Polyp Retinosis Rhinosis Sore Sore Throat Spasm Staphylococcus Stomatosis Teething Toothache Trichomonas Ulcer Uterosis Vaginosis Virus Vomiting Wart Worm Wound Yeast

General Dosage

120–320 mg clove; 100–300 mg powdered clove; 0.05–0.2 ml clove oil; Mouthwashes with 1–5% EO; 2–4 ml concentrated clove infusion.

Safety & Contraindications

Class 1. “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages”. CAN reports the eugenol in the volatile oil to be an irritant. The oil is a dermal and mucous irritant, sometimes causing cheilitis, dermatosis, and stomatosis. NO undiluted oil on infants’ gums or throat. May interfere with anticoagulant therapy. “There are no known problems with the use of clove during pregnancy and lactation, provided that doses do not greatly exceed the amounts used in foods”. Clove bud oil is reported to have an oral LD50 of 2650 mg/kg body weight in rats. EO LD50 = 2650 mg/kg orl rat. Major source of the COX-2 inhibitor, oleanolic acid, with clove up to 2%. As the best source of eugenol, clove may share many of its reported biological activities.

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