Cloves TRIMED COMOROS

Clove or nutmeg is the dried bud of the clove tree (Syzygium Aromaticum) native to the Spice Islands (Moluccas) of today's Indonesia. The name carnation or carnation is probably a cross-borrowing from the Italian name garofulum - caryophyllum which probably means "hard leaf", while the carnation tree does not seem to have a direct botanical relationship with the ornamental carnation plant (Dianthus caryophyllum), despite the common Greek name of their products. The clove was the bone of contention for many colonial seafarers, who tried to monopolize the priceless properties of the spice and herb at the same time. Today, cloves are used both in gastronomy and in traditional medicine for their admirable organoleptic and therapeutic properties.

In cooking, cloves are used to make many types of curry - spice mixes used in accompanying sauces for meat dishes. Thanks to eugenol, the essential oil contained in up to 25% of this spice, clove gives food a spicy and sweet oriental taste with a strong aroma. In traditional Greek cuisine, cloves also accompany braised foods and are used to prepare a wide range of traditional sweets such as syrups.

The therapeutic use (medicinal use) of cloves is also largely due to eugenol but also to the flavonoid and phenolic components it contains with indications concerning indigestion and flatulence, nausea and vomiting (as aphrodisiac, digestive, sedative, antispasmodic) , arthritis and myalgia (as a circulatory stimulant and antispasmodic), helminthiasis (as a parasiticide). As a bactericide and anesthetic, cloves are widely used in traditional medicine for conditions such as bad breath, toothaches and migraines, but also in modern science as an ingredient in local anesthetics and antiseptics in dental procedures. Cloves also have antioxidant (anti-cancer), antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effects with indications such as upper respiratory ailments (from simple cough, sore throat and sinusitis to sinusitis, bronchitis and asthma), food poisoning, fungal infections of the feet, skin wounds , skin conditions such as acne. Cloves are also believed to stabilize blood sugar, have antihypertensive effects, and prevent platelet aggregation, protecting against metabolic and cardiovascular disease. In traditional Chinese medicine it is also used in cases of premature ejaculation and is thought to detoxify the blood. In aromatherapy, clove finds applications in dealing with cases of chronic fatigue, anxiety and depression.

In industry, cloves are used in the production of toothpaste, soap making, perfumery and the production of cosmetics. Clove also has insect repellent (for mosquitoes, flies and ants) properties. It can also be used as an aromatic to freshen closed spaces, promoting at the same time the function of breathing for people with related diseases.