Eugenol - Nature, Properties, Sources

Video: Eugenol - Nature, Properties, Sources

Video: Eugenol - Nature, Properties, Sources
Video: Isolation of Eugenol from Cloves - an Inquisitive Lab Demonstration 2024, December
Eugenol - Nature, Properties, Sources
Eugenol - Nature, Properties, Sources
Anonim

Chefs who like stronger spices often include one of them in their recipes - cloves. It gives the dishes a specific flavor, but there are also many health benefitsbecause 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 based ingredient in it and that's it eugenol. What is it?

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

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

Its external description presents it as a colorless liquid, reaching a pale yellow - with a strong characteristic aroma - pleasant, spicy, similar to 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 most concentrated in clove oil - from 80 to 90 percent of its composition.

According to all studies, it has the potential to help intestinal peristalsis and restore normal bowel function.

Eugenol for toothache
Eugenol for toothache

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

It was found that eugenol has anesthetic properties. This made it possible to create two anesthetics that find application in practice.

In perfumery, too uses eugenol. It is a component in a widespread balm produced in Peru, and is also used in food products. There it is used as a flavor to enhance the sharp peppery taste of cloves to various foods and beverages.

It is known that eugenol slows blood clotting and it should be borne in mind that it may react poorly when interacting with blood-thinning drugs.

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