Eugenol - Essence, Properties, Sources

People who like stronger spices often include one in their recipes - cloves. It gives dishes a specific aroma, but it also has many health benefits, because it is known for its antiseptic properties.

In Asian and Northern European cuisine, this spice is revered. The health benefits of cloves are due to the basic ingredient in it and that is eugenol. What is it?

The name eugenol comes from Eugenia caryophyllata, which is the scientific name of clove given by the naturalist Carl Linnaeus. Its scientific description presents eugenol as an aromatic volatile compound catalyzed by a type of enzyme from the genus Gimnadenia.

According to its structure, it is a phenylpropanoid containing at least one benzene ring. Its biosynthesis is very complex and starts with one amino acid - tyrosine. After a number of chemical processes, eugenol is obtained.

Its external description presents it as a colorless to pale yellow liquid - with a strong characteristic aroma - pleasant, spicy, similar to that of cloves. It has an oily consistency and is found in the essential oils of some plants. These are cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil and bay leaf. Eugenol is the most concentrated in clove oil - from 80 to 90 percent of its composition.

According to all studies, it has the potential to help the peristalsis of the intestines and restore the normal functioning of the intestinal tract.

Eugenol has a number of uses in dentistry for toothache and maintaining oral hygiene in toothpastes and also in dental cement and is therefore recognized as a remedy for dental problems.

Eugenol has been found to have anesthetic properties. This made it possible to create two anesthetics that are used in practice.

Eugenol is also used in perfumery. It is a component in a widespread balsam produced in Peru and has applications in food products. There, it is used as a flavoring to enhance the sharp peppery flavor that cloves possess to various foods and beverages.

Eugenol is known to slow blood clotting and it should be noted that it may interact poorly with blood thinners.