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Oil of Cloves

 
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Oil of cloves, also known as Clove oil, is an essential oil
Essential oil

An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. They are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant material from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove....
 from the clove
Clove

Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisine all over the world....
 plant, Syzygium aromaticum.

It is a natural analgaesic and antiseptic
Antiseptic

Antiseptics are antimicrobials that are applied to living biological tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction....
 used primarily in dentistry
Dentistry

Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the mouth, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body....
 for its main ingredient eugenol
Eugenol

Eugenol , is an allyl chain-substituted guaiacol. Eugenol is a member of the phenylpropanoids class of chemical compounds. It is a clear to pale yellow oily liquid extracted from certain essential oils especially from clove oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, and bay leaf....
. It can also be purchased in pharmacies over the counter, as a home remedy
Home remedy

A home remedy is a treatment to cure a disease or ailment that employs certain spices, vegetables, or other common items. Home remedies may or may not have medicinal properties that treat or cure the disease or ailment in question, as they are typically passed along by laypersons ....
 for dental pain relief, mainly toothache
Toothache

A toothache, also known as odontalgia or, less frequently, as odontalgy, is an aching pain in or around a tooth. In most cases toothaches are caused by problems in the tooth or jaw, such as Dental caries, gingivitis, the emergence of wisdom teeth, a cracked tooth, infected dental pulp , jaw disease, or exposed root canal....
; it is also often found in the aromatherapy
Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils , and other aromatic compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person's mood or health....
 section of health food stores.






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Dscf9677
Oil of cloves, also known as Clove oil, is an essential oil
Essential oil

An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. They are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant material from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove....
 from the clove
Clove

Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisine all over the world....
 plant, Syzygium aromaticum.
  • CAS number: 8015-98-2


It is a natural analgaesic and antiseptic
Antiseptic

Antiseptics are antimicrobials that are applied to living biological tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction....
 used primarily in dentistry
Dentistry

Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the mouth, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body....
 for its main ingredient eugenol
Eugenol

Eugenol , is an allyl chain-substituted guaiacol. Eugenol is a member of the phenylpropanoids class of chemical compounds. It is a clear to pale yellow oily liquid extracted from certain essential oils especially from clove oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, and bay leaf....
. It can also be purchased in pharmacies over the counter, as a home remedy
Home remedy

A home remedy is a treatment to cure a disease or ailment that employs certain spices, vegetables, or other common items. Home remedies may or may not have medicinal properties that treat or cure the disease or ailment in question, as they are typically passed along by laypersons ....
 for dental pain relief, mainly toothache
Toothache

A toothache, also known as odontalgia or, less frequently, as odontalgy, is an aching pain in or around a tooth. In most cases toothaches are caused by problems in the tooth or jaw, such as Dental caries, gingivitis, the emergence of wisdom teeth, a cracked tooth, infected dental pulp , jaw disease, or exposed root canal....
; it is also often found in the aromatherapy
Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils , and other aromatic compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person's mood or health....
 section of health food stores. The oil produced by cloves can be used in many things from flavouring medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
 to remedies
Remedies

Remedies is the debut album by The Herbaliser, released on Ninja Tune in 1995....
 for bronchitis
Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchus in the lungs. It can progress to pneumonia. Acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks....
, the common cold
Common cold

Acute viral rhinopharyngitis, or acute coryza, usually known as the common cold, is a highly contagious, virus infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, primarily caused by picornaviruses or coronaviruses....
, a cough
Cough

A cough , in medicine, is a sudden and often repetitively occurring defense reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from excess secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes....
, fever
Fever

Fever is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal. Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, usually by about 1?2 ?C ....
, sore throat
Sore Throat

Sore Throat were a United Kingdom crust punk / grindcore band, formed in Yorkshire in 1987. They are known for being one of the earliest exponents of the grindcore subgenre known as "noisecore", as well launching the careers of several prominent members of the British heavy metal music community....
 and tending to infections. The main oil-producing countries are Madagascar
Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
 and Indonesia
Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia , is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Comprising Islands of Indonesia, it is the world's largest Archipelago state....
.

There are three types of clove oil:
  • Bud oil is derived form the flower-buds of S.aromaticum. It consists of 60-90% eugenol
    Eugenol

    Eugenol , is an allyl chain-substituted guaiacol. Eugenol is a member of the phenylpropanoids class of chemical compounds. It is a clear to pale yellow oily liquid extracted from certain essential oils especially from clove oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, and bay leaf....
    , eugenyl acetate, caryophyllene
    Caryophyllene

    Caryophyllene , or -?-caryophyllene, is a natural bicyclic terpene that is a constituent of many essential oils, especially clove oil, the oil from the stems and flowers of Syzygium aromaticum , the essential oil of hemp Cannabis sativa, and rosemary Rosemary....
     and other minor constituents.
  • Leaf oil is derived from the leaves of S.aromaticum. It consists of 82-88% eugenol with little or no eugenyl acetate, and minor constituents.
  • Stem oil is derived from the twigs of S.aromaticum. It consists of 90-95% eugenol, with other minor constituents.


Oral use

Oil of cloves is known best for its anaesthetic properties. It is widely reported to be effective, and prior to the availability of safe, approved topical anaesthetic drugs, was used by some dentists.

Clove oil is often used to relieve pain caused by dry socket
Alveolar osteitis

In dentistry, a dry socket is a layman's term for alveolar osteitis. The alveolus is the part of the jawbone that supports the teeth, and osteitis means simply ?bone inflammation?....
, a possible complication of tooth extraction.

Clove oil has an unpleasant taste, so it is advised to prevent the oil from touching the tongue.

It is considered safe in very small quantities (<1500 p.p.m.) as a food additive. However, clove oil is toxic to human cells. If ingested in sufficient quantity or injected, it has been shown to cause life-threatening complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome
Acute respiratory distress syndrome

'Acute respiratory distress syndrome' , also known as 'respiratory distress syndrome' or 'adult respiratory distress syndrome' is a serious reaction to various forms of injuries to the lung....
, fulminant hepatic (liver) failure, and central nervous system depression; the lethal oral dose is 3.752 g per kg body weight.

Topical use

When applied to stop a toothache
Toothache

A toothache, also known as odontalgia or, less frequently, as odontalgy, is an aching pain in or around a tooth. In most cases toothaches are caused by problems in the tooth or jaw, such as Dental caries, gingivitis, the emergence of wisdom teeth, a cracked tooth, infected dental pulp , jaw disease, or exposed root canal....
, a cotton swab - applied directly to the infection site - or a very small piece of oil-soaked tissue paper is placed directly on or in the tooth, to allow for the oil to absorb into the affected area.

Other uses

It is also used for anaesthetizing and in higher doses euthanizing fish.

Clove oil is also used in an all-natural herbicide called "Perfectly Natural Weed & Grass Killer". The clove oil is the only active ingredient, and it is very effective at killing many types of plants.

Clove oil has antimicrobial and anti fungal uses. It can be used for acne, warts, scars and parasites. Laboratory research published in 2009 demonstrated that it exhibits significant activity against Proprionibacterium acnes, the major skin bacterium causing acne.

Research has shown that clove oil is an effective mosquito repellent.

Clove oil is also used in oil painting. The anti-oxidant effects of the eugenol delays the drying (oxidation) of the drying oils (linseed, safflower, poppy, walnut) in the paint on the palette. A drop per paint 'nut' is usually added. Alternatively, the palette can be covered, with a small amount of clove oil applied to the inside of the cover to allow the clove oil to disperse, preventing the paint from reacting with the oxygen within the cover. This method has the advantage of slowing the drying of the paints once they are applied to the painting.

Clove oil is also used in the polishing, cleaning, and maintenance of Japanese swords. In this role it is referred to as Choji oil. Choji oil is about 99% fine mineral oil with a very small amount of clove oil; pure clove oil should not be applied directly to a sword.

Footnotes


See also

  • Dentistry
    Dentistry

    Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the mouth, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body....
  • Anaesthetic
  • Analgesic
    Analgesic

    An analgesic is any member of the diverse group of Medication used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
  • Toothache
    Toothache

    A toothache, also known as odontalgia or, less frequently, as odontalgy, is an aching pain in or around a tooth. In most cases toothaches are caused by problems in the tooth or jaw, such as Dental caries, gingivitis, the emergence of wisdom teeth, a cracked tooth, infected dental pulp , jaw disease, or exposed root canal....
  • Medicine
    Medicine

    Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
  • Aromatherapy
    Aromatherapy

    Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils , and other aromatic compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person's mood or health....