Clove oil is obtained by extraction from the dried flower buds of the clove plant. Traditionally, it has been used as a flavouring spice in foods, or as a fragrance.... It is also found in topical analgesics.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed · 4 references
The chief constituent present in clove oil is the phenol "eugenol" which is present in amounts up to 85%. Clove oil acts as a germicide to Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Clove oil is thought to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, thereby reducing painful symptoms.
Eugenol, the main constituent of clove oil is purported to have anticancer action. In one study, eugenol-treated HL-60 cells showed features of apoptosis including DNA fragmentation and formation of DNA ladders in agarose gel electrophoresis. It was observed that eugenol transduced the apoptotic signal via reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, inducing mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), decreasing anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 level, inducing cytochrome c release to the cytosol, and subsequent apoptotic cell death. When taken together, the study showed that ROS plays a critical role in eugenol-induced apoptosis in HL-60, and this is the first report on the mechanism of the anticancer effect of eugenol.
- Primary indication
- Clove oil is primarily indicated in conditions like colic, flatulence, and toothache.Curator reviewed · 2 structured indications
- First approval
- Canada, 2000
- Also known as
- Caryophylii floris aetheroleum · Caryophyllus aromaticus bud oil · Clove bud oil · Clove volatile oil · Ding xiang bud oil
- Code names
- Fema no. 2323
Resolves to
What you can answer from here — as of March 03, 2026
Which drugs share a target with Clove oil, and which of those have an active Phase 3 trial?
Create a free account or log in to explore the full data card.
Create Account