Essential NoseClove
Clove essential oil from Syzygium aromaticum buds is dominated by eugenol (70-90%), with eugenyl acetate and beta-caryophyllene as secondary components. Eugenol exerts analgesic action by activating and then desensitising TRPV1 receptors and inhibiting voltage-gated sodium channels, which underlies its centuries-long use in dental pain relief.[1] The oil's antimicrobial mechanism has been comprehensively reviewed: eugenol disrupts cell membranes and inhibits virulence factor production across a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi.[2]
Clove Bud
Syzygium aromaticum
- Also Known As
- Clove, Eugenia Caryophyllata
- Family
- Spice
- Perfumery Note
- Middle
- Intensity
- Very Strong
- Extraction
- Steam Distillation
- Plant Parts
- Stems
- Origins
- Madagascar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka
- Effect
- Focus & Mental Clarity, Respiratory Support, Grounding & Centering
- Aroma
- Spicy, Warm, Sweet
- Applications
- Aromatherapy, Medicinal, Culinary, Cleaning
- Price
- $$$$A byproduct of the clove bud harvest; extremely high in eugenol and very inexpensive to produce
Clove essential oil from Syzygium aromaticum buds is dominated by eugenol (70-90%), with eugenyl acetate and beta-caryophyllene as secondary components. Eugenol exerts analgesic action by activating and then desensitising TRPV1 receptors and inhibiting voltage-gated sodium channels, which underlies its centuries-long use in dental pain relief.[1] The oil's antimicrobial mechanism has been comprehensively reviewed: eugenol disrupts cell membranes and inhibits virulence factor production across a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi.[2]
Clove Leaf
Syzygium aromaticum
- Also Known As
- Clove Leaf Oil, Feuille de Girofle, Eugenia Caryophyllata Leaf Oil
- Family
- Spice
- Perfumery Note
- Middle
- Intensity
- Very Strong
- Extraction
- Steam Distillation
- Plant Parts
- Leaves
- Origins
- Madagascar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka
- Effect
- Respiratory Support, Warming & Comforting
- Aroma
- Spicy, Sharp, Harsh, Woody
- Applications
- Cleaning, Antimicrobial, Flavoring
- Price
- $$$$Distilled from clove leaves, a low-value byproduct of the flower-bud harvest, making it the cheapest and most abundant source of natural eugenol on the market.
Clove leaf oil is steam-distilled from the leaves of Syzygium aromaticum rather than the flower buds, and GC-MS analysis shows it running roughly 77-88% eugenol with comparatively little eugenyl acetate (around 1%) next to beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene, giving it a sharper, harsher, more one-dimensional phenolic profile than clove bud oil.[3] Because clove leaves are a low-cost byproduct of the flower-bud harvest, leaf oil is produced far more cheaply than bud oil and has become a major industrial source of natural eugenol, though its higher free-eugenol concentration also makes it more prone to causing skin, eye, and mucous-membrane irritation, a distinction formally recognized in regulatory assessments that treat clove bud oil and clove leaf oil as separate substances with separate permitted-use levels.[4]
References
- [1]Clove Essential Oil (Syzygium aromaticum L. Myrtaceae): Extraction, Chemical Composition, Food Applications, and Essential Bioactivity for Human Health — Batiha GE et al. Foods, 2021
- [2]Antimicrobial activity of eugenol and essential oils containing eugenol: A mechanistic viewpoint — Marchese A et al. Crit Rev Microbiol, 2017
- [3]Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of clove leaf essential oil - Jirovetz L, Buchbauer G, Stoilova I, Stoyanova A, Krastanov A, Schmidt E. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2006
- [4]Safety and efficacy of feed additives consisting of essential oils derived from the flower buds or the leaves of Syzygium aromaticum (clove bud oil and clove leaf oils) for all animal species (FEFANA asbl) - EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP). EFSA Journal, 2023