Clove is one of the most ancient and valuable spices of the orient and holds a unique position in the international spice trade. Native to Moluccas, the so called ‘Spice Islands’ in the East Indian Archipelago, this spice was first introduced in India around 1800 A.D. by the East India Company. The Important clove growing regions in India now are Nilgiris, Tenkasi hills, and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu and Kottayam and Quilon districts of Kerala.

Researchers are studying clove oil as a natural method for maintaining oral health due to its effect on plaque, gingivitis, and bacteria in the mouth. Researchers compared the effectiveness of an herbal mouth rinse containing clove, basil, and tea tree oil with a commercially available essential oil mouth rinse. Both mouth rinses were effective against plaque and gingivitis, showing that they may help decrease oral inflammation and bacteria. The researchers also found that the mouth rinse that contained clove decreased the number of harmful bacteria more than the commercial mouth rinse. A study in mice found that clove extract and nigericin, a component of clove extract, reduced insulin resistance in mouse muscle cells. Mice with diabetes that consumed nigericin also had less insulin resistance and improvements in glucose tolerance, insulin secretion, and beta cell function. Another animal study looked at the effect of clove bud powder on laboratory markers in a rat model of diabetes. They found that blood sugar level was lower in rats that received the clove powder compared to those in the control group that did not receive the clove powder.