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CLOVE _ CLOVE_01.png "CLOVE")
| | | INCI: | Syzygium aromaticum | | CAS: | 8000-34-8 | | EINECS: | 234-638-7 | | Flavouring according to EC regulation 1334/2008 |
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CLOVESyzygium aromaticum (Myrtacee)
Origin: Madagascar
Believed to be native to Indonesia, the clove is now grown all over the world (especially the Philippines, the Molucca Islands and Madagascar).
The clove tree grows to a height of twelve metres, with a smooth, slender trunk and large, glossy, lanceolate leaves; the buds grow at the beginning of the rainy season. When dried, these buds yield the clove, one of the most common commercial spices.
EXTRACTION
OLFACTIVE AFFINITIES
The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the cloves. It is a light yellow liquid with an intense, slightly pungent, spicy-sweet fragrance.
It combines well with the essential oils of Bergamot, Black pepper, Clary sage, Frankincense, Lavender, Vanilla and Ylang-ylang.
PROPERTIES
(according to
popular herbalist tradition)
The clove has been cultivated for over two thousand years, and the tincture and infusion obtained from it have been used medicinally since the remotest times. In the Chinese traditional pharmacopeia, it's indicated as a remedy against a wide range of ailments such as diarrhea, halitosis, bronchitis, scabies, digestive problems etc.
It's a common domestic spice all over the world, and is also used for alleviating toothache. In Indonesia, clove is traditionally mixed with tobacco and smoked ("kretek" cigarettes).
The essential oil of clove has anti-biotic, anti-septic, larvicide and anti-helminthic properties. It is an excellent treatment for acne and for skin sores and burns. Clove oil is an irritant and should never be used undiluted: always dissolve it in a vegetable oil such as olive, almond or sesame.
It's also effective as an insect repellent (especially mosquitoes).
It's used in pharmaceutical preparations for dentistry, and in toothpastes, cosmetics, perfumes, inks and paints.
Clove is the raw material for the production of natural eugenol.
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