Herbal Notes Syzygium aromaticum Sanskrit name Lavanga English name Clove Habit and Habitat Syzygium aromaticum is an aromatic tree that grows up to a height of 10 to 12 m. It is commonly cultivated in Southern India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Zanzibar, and Madagascar. The branches of S aromaticum are semierect, grayish, and dense. The leaves are large, oblong to elliptic, simple obovate, and glabrous with several oil glands on the lower surface. The flowers are small, crimson, and borne on the terminal ends of the small branches. The dried flower buds of S aromaticum are used as a spice in cuisines across the world.1,2 Pharmacologic Actions Essential oils from the stem, flower bud, and leaf of S aromaticum comprise different phytochemicals that are of a high pharmacologic value. Eugenol is one of the major phytochemicals in S aromaticum. Other phytochemicals include gallic acid, kaempferol, rhametin, myricetin, salicylic acid, syringic acid, eugenin, caffeic acid, eugenitin, quercetin, phenylacetic acid, and protocatechuic acid. S aromaticum is known for its antioxidant, anti- inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, antiseptic, and antiparasitic properties.1-3 A study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of S aromaticum fruits. Healthy albino Wistar rats were subcutaneously injected with 10% w/v carrageenan suspension to induce edema. The rats were divided into 4 groups: groups 1 and 2 received oral doses of 250 and 500 mg/ kg body weight of ethanolic extract of S aromaticum, respectively; group 3 received indomethacin (10 mg/kg body weight); and group 4 (negative control) received 1 mL/kg body weight of normal saline. Edema size and inhibition percentage were monitored at 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours and after 24 hours. The results revealed a significant decrease in the edema size and a dose-dependent increase in the Syzygium aromaticum is an ingredient of Koflet syrup, lozenge, and linctus. edema inhibition percentage in rats treated with the ethanolic extract of S aromaticum. Thus, the study demonstrated the anti-inflammatory ability of S aromaticum.2 Another study evaluated the analgesic ability of S aromaticum flower buds. Adult Wistar rats were intraperitoneally administered with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight of ethanolic extract of S aromaticum flower buds. After 30 minutes, the rats were intraperitoneally injected with 0.6% acetic acid solution to induce characteristic writhing. After 5 minutes of inducing writhing, the rats were placed in individual cages. The number of abdominal contractions were counted for 10 minutes, and the percentage inhibition of writhing was calculated. Upon evaluation, the highest analgesic activity was seen at a dose of 50 mg/kg. The study results revealed that the rats treated with the ethanolic extract of S aromaticum demonstrated a protective effect against acetic acid–induced abdominal constriction. Thus, the study confirmed the analgesic ability of S aromaticum flower buds.3 References 1. Kaur K, Kaushal S. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2019;8(1):398–406. 2. Saeed TA, et al. Adv Biosci Biotechnol. 2017;8(11):411–420. 3. Tanko Y, et al. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2008;5(2):209–212. 44 • Probe •Vol LXII • No. 3 • May–Aug 2023
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