ABSTRACT
Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merril. & Perry commonly known as clove is an important herb with vast health benefits to human beings. S. aromaticum belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is considered one of the earliest known species for use as a spice. Clove has great potential for agricultural, cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical applications. S. aromaticum extracts are commonly used to provide aroma, medicinal, nutritional, texture, and color functions in food products. They are light yellow to orange in color, have a pleasant aroma, and are considered a carbohydrate, dietary fiber, protein, and fat source. In addition, cloves are used to preserve food by inhibiting the growth of a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Penicillium digitatum, which cause foodborne illnesses and food poisoning. Furthermore, S. aromaticum extracts contain a diverse array of secondary metabolites, like flavonoids, hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxyphenyl propenes, eugenol, eugenol acetate, and gallic acid, with a wide range of beneficial health-promoting activities. These metabolites have active biological properties and unique aromatic structures and are safe for use in food and medicinal applications. Clove metabolites are considered as new beneficial natural antimicrobial agents to potentially combat cytotoxin genes-producing drug-resistant Helicobacter pylori, gastrointestinal disorders, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antidiabetic, anesthetic, and possess insect-repellent properties. In addition, clove has been proven to have insulin-like biological activity and regulate energy metabolism. This chapter gives insights into the effects of clove extracts on health promotion and their potential applications. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.