Cloves, the aromatic buds from the spice Syzygium aromaticum (part of the Myrtaceae family), pack a punch beyond flavor—they’re a powerhouse of essential oils with a long history in traditional medicine.
Researchers tested a simple water-based clove extract against 10 common bacteria, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative types, using a standard lab method called well diffusion. The lineup included tough pathogens like E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and even antibiotic-resistant MRSA.
The results? The extract showed strong broad-spectrum antibacterial action across all 10 bugs, hitting E. coli and K. pneumoniae hardest. To uncover why, they analyzed a related ethyl acetate extract with GC-MS technology, spotting 58 compounds total. The star player: eugenol, making up over 53% of the mix.
This highlights cloves as a promising natural antibacterial agent, perfect for everything from food preservation to fighting infections.
Source : https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12906-023-04243-x