Research from China has determined that cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) inhibit the growth of several cancers. Researchers tested an extract of whole cloves against several types of human cancer cells, including those of ovarian, cervical, liver, colon, breast and pancreatic cancers.

Published in the journal Oncology Research, the test used an incubation system that simulated the ability of these cancer cells to grow within the body. The researchers found that the clove extract stopped such development. The active constituents they identified within the clove extracts include oleanolic acid and eugenol. “Clove extract may represent a novel therapeutic herb for cancer treatment, and oleanolic acid is one of the components responsible for part of its antitumor activity,” the researchers commented.

Cloves, one of the oldest medicinal spices, have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for many centuries.