Sungmoo Hong, Kyungsook Jung, Taeyoung Kang, Hyohoon Jeong, Meejung Ahn, Changjong Moon, Hiroshi Matsuda, Akane Tanaka, Kazuhiro Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Nomura, Myung-Bok Wie, Jeongtae Kim, Taekyun Shin
Eugenol is a naturally occurring volatile phenolic compound derived primarily from cloves; it exhibits diverse biological activities, including local anesthetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and preservative effects, supporting its use as an oral disinfectant. Notably, eugenol mitigates oxidative stress, a key contributor to disease progression and aging; furthermore, eugenol exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting multiple proinflammatory mediators, reducing tissue damage. Our review provides new insights into the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of eugenol and its underlying mechanisms in various models of neuroinflammation. Based on the literature, eugenol represents a promising candidate for mitigating neuroinflammatory processes, likely through its combined antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities.