One of Over 700 Sites
	with Guide Alan Bruzel, Ph.D. Bio | Contact

Subjects

Acids Bases pH Analytical Chem Ask an Expert Astrochemistry Atomic Structure Biochemistry Chemical Databases Chemical Warfare Chemistry Clip Art Chemistry History Chromatography Computational Chem Convert/Calculate Crystallography Electrochemistry Environmental Chem Fun Sites General Chemistry Graphics Software How Things Work Inorganic Chem K-12 Grade Lessons Organic Chemistry Periodic Tables Physical Chemistry Polymer Chemistry Spectroscopy Stoichiometry Terminology Toxic Chemicals Subject Library  All articles on this topic

More Sites On This Topic

Apply to become a partner for this site.

Eugenol: Anesthetic in Oil of Cloves

Dateline: 05/08/00

By Alan Bruzel

Eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) is a major component of the essential oils expressed from bay leaves (Laurus nobilis) and the buds of cloves (Eugenia caryophyllata). It has found uses as a flavoring for foods and cigarettes, as an analgesic in dentistry, and as a means of capturing ornamental fish.

Oil of cloves, an over-the-counter medicament, gives temporary relief from dental cavity pain because of its eugenol content. The anesthetic properties of eugenol are believed to arise from its ability to dissolve both in aqueous solutions and in the lipid environment of nerves. The negative charge acquired by the eugenol molecule after ionization of the phenolic hydrogen (in red, below) imparts water solubility. The hydrophobic nature of the allyl group (in green) allows entry of that part of the eugenol molecule into the lipid region of nerve cell membranes.

Eugenol

Eugenol interests dentists beyond its temporary anesthetizing ability. When mixed in the proper proportions with water and zinc oxide, the complex formed from the negatively charged eugenol and the positively charged zinc ion yields a slow setting cement used in preparing dental impressions. When this is combined with gutta-percha, the resultant mixture is used in root canal therapy to fill and seal roots after their dental pulp has been removed.

What the Web Has to Say about:
Eugenol: Anesthetic in Oil of Cloves

Clove Oil: An 'Eco-Friendly' Alternative to Cyanide Use in the Live Reef Fish Industry?
A better way to capture ornamental fishes. From Mark V. Erdmann, University of California, Berkeley and Indonesian Institute of Sciences.

Clove Oil, A Natural Fish Anesthetic
Article by Clyde S. Tamaru et al. in Makai magazine describes how clove oil is a more potent fish anesthetic than the customary 2-phenoxyethanol.

Dental Cements for Luting
Chemical reactions occurring in commonly used dental cements. From Stephen C. Bayne, University of North Carolina.

Eugenol
There is limited evidence linking this compound to cancer in experimental animals. From the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization.

How a Root Canal Works
Techniques involved in root canal therapy. From Jerry Gordon, How Stuff Works.

Illnesses Possibly Associated with Smoking Clove Cigarettes
Presence of the anesthetizing agent eugenol may lead to deeper inhalation. A report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mineral Trioxide Aggregate: A New Material for Endodontics
Abstract from Richard S. Schwartz et al. in the Journal of the American Dental Association describing a material that may replace zinc oxide-eugenol cement.

Oil of Cloves for Cavity Pain?
Temporarily calming toothache. From Kim Loos, for iVillage/ParentsPlace.com.

Previous Articles

Subscribe to The Chemistry Newsletter
Name	Email