Phenolic compounds in cloves

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) bud is the most important spice that is frequently used as a flavoring agent in the traditional and industrial food industries. It is also used for numerous medicinal and pharmaceutical applications to prevent aging, promote wound healing, and treat many diseases, such as thyroid dysfunction, skin cancer, digestion problems, and cardiovascular diseases.

Clove represents one of the major vegetal sources of phenolic compounds as flavonoids, hidroxibenzoic acids, hidroxicinamic acids and hidroxiphenyl propens.

Phenolic compounds, including stress-linked phytochemicals, have been related to favorable impacts, which are caused by the consumption of fruits and vegetables, particularly due to their antioxidant activity.

Eugenol, an allyl chain-substituted guaiacol is the main bioactive compound of clove, which is found in concentrations ranging from 9 381.70 to 14 650.00 mg per 100 g of fresh plant material. Eugenol has a spicy, pungent odour typical of clove.

Gallic acid, catechol, and protocatechuic acid were the highest phenolic acids (762.6, 635.8, and 544.9 mg/100 g, respectively), and quercetin and catechin were the highest flavonoid acids (1703.1 and 1065.1 mg/100 g, respectively).

In addition, other gallic acid derivates as hidrolizable tannins are present in higher concentrations (2 375.8 mg/100 g). Other phenolic acids found in clove are the caffeic, ferulic, elagic and salicylic acids.
Phenolic compounds in cloves

Classifications of Spices

Classifications of Spices
In the case of herbs it is possible to classify them into groups having broadly similar sensory attributes based on the prime constituent of the essential oil. Unfortunately, when one is considering the spices such a meaningful grouping is only partially possible as far fewer associations, based on some common organoleptic property, exists; many of the spices are individually distinctive and unlike any other spice. This being so, it is convenient to classify certain of them on a purely botanical basis either by family or by form (e.g., aromatic fruits).

The spices are so classified as follows:

The pungent spices
Capsicum, ginger, black and white pepper, mustard, horseradish

The aromatic fruits
Nutmeg and mace, cardamom, fenugreek

The umbelliferous fruits
Anise, fennel
Caraway
Celery, lovage, parsley
Cumin
Coriander

The aromatic barks containing cinnamic aldehyde
Cinnamon bark, cassia bark

The phenolic spices containing eugenol
Clove bud, allspice, cinnamon leaf, clove stem, clove leaf, West Indian bay

The most important of the spices commercially is, of course, pepper, which is used universally; pepper is followed by cloves, nutmeg and mace, cardamom, cinnamon and cassia, ginger and allspice or pimento. These 9 species together account do some 90% of the total spice trade.
Classifications of Spices