The biological activity of eugenol, a major constituent of nutmeg (<i>Myristica fragrans</i>): Studies on prostaglandins, the intestine and other tissues

Abstract

Abstract Studies have been made of eugenol on isolated tissues from man and laboratory animals, and on rats in vivo . Eugenol inhibited prostaglandin synthesis, and reduced the tone of isolated gut muscle and myometrium. With rats in vivo , the compound reduced the rate of intestinal transit, the intestinal accumulation of fluid induced by prostaglandin E 2 , and the diarrhoea induced by castor oil. Eugenol showed anti‐inflammatory activity in the rat paw carrageenin oedema test.