Clove: Tiny Buds with Global Fame

Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry (Myrtaceae), commonly known as clove, is a median sized tree indigenous to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia but has been cultivated in different countries around the world. Clove is famous as an ancient spice and a culinary plant and its essential oil is widely used as a food preservative, fragrance in perfumes, and anti-inflammatory agent in cosmetics industry. In the Islamic Traditional Medicine (ITM), clove has the potential to treat brain, gastrointestinal, urogenital, ocular, and dental diseases. The pharmacological activities of the essential oils and extracts of clove buds and leaves have been investigated in different in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. The results have presented its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-metabolic syndrome, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial properties, which not only support the application of clove in traditional medicine but also suggest new therapeutic aspects as well. In this chapter, we have summarized general information regarding ethnobotany, traditional uses, and the chemical profile of cloves and discussed its therapeutic applications that have been studied until today.