Clove / Syzygium Aromaticum / Laung: Classification, Health Benefits & Ayurvedic Uses

Abstract

There are numerous Ayurvedic spices that are used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. One of the most important spices is clove, known as Syzygium aromaticum in Latin and Laung in Hindi. An interesting fact about clove is that while it tastes hot, its potency is cool, making it beneficial for treating digestive tract problems. Clove oil is used in aromatherapy and, due to its potent aroma, can be used as a repellent. Clove is one of the richest sources of essential compounds like eugenol, tannins, eugenyl acetate, and gallic acids, which have a wide range of applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food processing, and agriculture.

Introduction

Syzygium aromaticum is a tree native to Indonesia that is now grown throughout tropical Asia, Africa, and America. It is also referred to as a clove or laung. The cloves are dried and unopened, with flower buds resembling nails. They give off a strong, spicy, aromatic, and pungent odour. They are commonly used as a spice, flavouring agent, and fragrance in toothpastes, soaps, and cosmetics. The dried flower buds, leaves, and clove oil have therapeutic properties. The clove has the highest concentration of the essential oil compound eugenol, which promotes pain relief and infection resistance.

Systemic Classification Of Clove

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Sub Kingdom: Viridaeplantae
• Phylum: Tracheophyta
• Class: Magnoliopsida
• Subclass: Rosidae
• Order: Myrtales
• Genus: Syzygium
• Species epithet: Aromaticum

Synonyms Of Clove

Latin Synonym	Sanskrit Synonym
Caryophyllus aromaticus	Lavang
Eugenia aromatica	Devakusuma
Eugenia caryophyllata	Shri Prasuna, Shekhara
Eugenia caryophyllus	Grahanihara
	Srisamja

Other Vernacular Names Of Clove

• Hindi: Laung, Lavang
• English: Clove
• Telugu: Lavangamu, Karavallu
• Tamil: Kirambu
• Gujarati: Lavanga
• Malayalam: Grampoo
• Spanish: Clavo
• Italian: Chiodo di garofano
• Arabic: Qurnafl
• German: Nelke

Habitat

The clove tree is native to the Maluku islands in East Indonesia, and it is frequently cultivated in coastal areas at maximum altitudes of 200m above sea level. In India, clove is mostly grown in the hilly regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. For the cultivation of cloves, it requires a humid tropical climate with annual rainfall and a moderate temperature of around 20 to 30 degrees.

Morphology

• Height: The evergreen clove tree grows at a height of 20 – 30 ft.
• Stem: The stem of a clove tree is hard with pale yellowish or grey bark and has a smooth surface.
• Leaves: The leaves of clove are simple, bright green and glossy. They grow up to a height of 20 cm and are elliptical in shape.
• Flowers: Each flower has a cylindrical, thick ovary consisting of four sepals. Above the sepals are four whitish, dome shaped petals. The dried cloves are nail shaped , reddish brown in colour.
• Fruit: Cloves produce fleshy, dark pink fruit.
• Seed: Clove seeds are oblong and soft, with a groove on one side.
• The flower bud is a useful part of clove that is reddish brown in colour and grows to a height of 1.7 cm. This consists of a slightly flattened stalk (hypanthium), four calyx teeth, and a globular section in the centre. Flower buds are harvested during the maturation stage before flowering and used as a popular spice, as well as in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine.

Chemical Compounds Of Clove

S.No.	Compound	Constituent			Present In	Property
1	Essential Oil Compounds	Eugenol	Beta-caryophyllene	Alpha-Humulene	Aerial plant parts like Flowers, leaves and bark.	It gives temporary relief and numbs the nerves in the mouth, is used as a dental analgesic.	Antioxidant and antimicrobial effects.	Antiproliferative activity enhances the additional anticancer bioactivities.
2	Flavonoids	Quercetin	Kaempferol	–	Clove flower buds	Aphrodisiac efficacy, antiprotozoal and antithrombotic properties	–	–
3	Tannins	Ellagitannin (Eugeniin, Casuarictin)	Aromatannin A (a newly discovered glycosidic tannin)	–	Dried flower buds from cloves	To make blood clot faster	Improve the flavour of your food	–

Classical Categorisation

लवङ्गं देवकुसुमं श्रीसंज्ञं श्रीप्रसूनकम् |
लवङ्गं कटुकं तिक्तं लघु नेत्रहितं हिमम् |
दीपनं पाचनं रुच्यं कफपित्तास्रनाशकृत् ||
तृष्णां छर्दिं तथाध्मानं शूलमाशु विनाशयेत् |
कासं श्वासञ्च हिक्काञ्च क्षयं क्षययति ध्रुवम् ||

Ancient Reference – Bhavprakash Nighantu/ Karpuradi varga/ Shloka no. 58-59

The interpretation of Shloka – Clove is the flower of the gods, and the flower of the goddess is called Srisamjnam Sriprasunakam (Sri Lakshami vachak). Cloves are Tikta (bitter) , Katu (pungent), Laghu (light) and Netrahitam (good for the eyes). It is Deepnam (inflammatory), Pachnam (digestive), Ruchaynam (palatable) and Kaphapitta Srnashakrit (destroys phlegm, bile and tears). It quickly destroys tishna (thirst), chardi (vomit), shwasa (asthma), and wheezing. It certainly relieves kasa ( coughing) and hikka (hiccups).

Ayurvedic Properties Of Clove

• Rasa (Taste) – Tikta (Bitter), Katu (Pungent)
• Guna (Qualities) – Laghu (Light to digest), Snigdha (Unctuous, oily)
• Vipaka (Post digestion effect) – Katu (Pungent)
• Veerya (Potency) – Sheeta (Cold)

Effect On Tridosha Of Clove

KaphaPittaHara – Balances Kapha and Pitta

Clove’s Practical Use And Benefits

• Clove oil acts as an antiseptic, fighting bacteria that cause infections, and reducing gum swelling due to its anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, they are used in dentistry as oral hygiene products like toothpaste and mouthwash.
• Clove has warm, soothing properties that aid in the treatment of digestive tract problems such as bloating, upset stomach, nausea, distension, and dyspepsia.
• Cloves’ antimicrobial properties help kill unwanted bacteria in the gut, promoting improved gut health, digestion, and nutrient absorption. This herb can kill E. coli strain bacteria that cause poisoning.
• Cloves contain eugenol and flavonoids, which exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Cloves also have expectorant properties, which aid in the removal of mucus from the respiratory tract, reducing inflammation and treating other respiratory disorders such as coughs, bronchitis, colds, asthma, and sinus infections.
• Clove oil is useful for the treatment of rheumatism and arthritis because it reduces pain and inflammation.
• Cloves are ideal for cancer treatment because they increase apoptosis and reduce cell proliferation.
• A new study on cloves discovered that clove extracts act as natural antimicrobials and protect against pyelonephritis in an animal model (as reported in COVID-19 patients). Clove also has the ability to boost the human immune system, thereby increasing disease resistance.

Parts Used

Flower buds

Dosage Of Clove

• Clove powder: 1-2 grams
• Clove oil: 1-3 drops

Ayurvedic Product Of Planet Ayurveda

Planet Ayurveda Gum Care Powder

It is blend of herbal powder which is formulated by Planet Ayurveda using ingredients like- Sonthi (Zingiber officinale), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Poog (Areca catechu), Lavang (Syzygium aromaticum) and many more. It helps to maintain healthy gums and teeth, in case of pyorrhea or bad breath.

Usage: Massage your teeth and gums gently with 3-6 gm powder. Rinse the mouth with lukewarm water after 2-3 minutes.

Conclusion

This article concluded that clove is a fascinating plant with numerous health benefits, is used as a food preservative, and contains a high concentration of antioxidants. Many research articles have shown that the biological components of clove are beneficial to humans and promote good health. Clove essential oils are used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine because they have biological properties, such as antiseptics, antimicrobials, analgesics, and anticarcinogenic activity.