ABSTRACT
The clove tree is a perennial tropical plant that grows to a height ranging from 10 to 20 m, having large oval leaves and crimson flowers in numerous groups of terminal clusters. Traditional uses of clove oil include use in dental care as an antiseptic and analgesic. Essential oils are defined as products extracted from natural plants by physical means only, such as hydrodistillation, steam distillation, dry distillation, cold press, headspace analysis, liquid CO2 extraction, and solvent extraction. Physical and chemical properties of clove oil may vary, depending on the extraction method used, geographical location where the plant was cultivated, time of harvest, storage method, and part of the clove used. Eugenol isolated from clove oil was investigated using human promyelocytic leukemia cells and might be a potent agent in cancer therapy. Clove oil is also used as a mosquito repellent by itself or in combination with some other essential oils, like citronella, hairy basil, catnip, and vetiver.
