Synonyms: Clove bud, Laung, Lavang, Caryophyllum.
Biological source: It consists of dried flower buds of Eugenia caryophyllus (Sprengel)
Bullock & Harrison (Syzygium aromaticum Linn).
Family: Myrtaceae.
Geographical source: It is native from the Mollucca Island and traditionally cultivated in Tanzania (Zinziber), Madagascar, Indonesia, Srilanka and India (mainly in Nilgiri hills, Kanyakumari, Kottayam and Quilon hills of Kerala).
Macroscopic Characters:
Colour: Crimson red to brown.
Odour: Characteristic or aromatic.
Taste: Aromatic and pungent.
Size: Length (10 to 18 mm), width (3 to 4 mm) and thickness (2 mm).
Shape: Flower bud is nail-shaped, Hypanthium - Quadrangular (length 10 to 12 mm × diameter 2 to 3 mm), Head – Globulous.
Chemical Constituents:
It mainly contains volatile oil (15-20 percent), gallotannins (10 to 15 percent), resin, chromone and eugenin. Eugenol (70 to 90 percent), eugenol acetate, caryophyllenes, traces of esters, ketones and alcohols are the constituents of volatile oil which is present in oil ducts of clove.
Properties of Clove Oil:
Colour: Clove oil is colourless to pale yellow.
Specific gravity: 1.038 to 1.06
Refractive index: 1.527 to 1.535
Boiling point: 250°C
It should be stored in proper conditions because it becomes dark and thick on storage.
Chemical Test:
Needle shaped crystals are seen when section of clove is treated with strong potassium hydroxide solution.
Uses:
Clove based phytomedicines are used locally to treat minor wounds after cleansing, as an analgesic (headache, toothache), as an analgesic in disease of mouth, pharynx, or both (in the form of lozenges), in mouthwashes for oral hygiene. Internally it is used to treat
symptoms of gastrointestinal disturbances like epigastric bloating, improper digestion and flatulence.