Abstract
Clove oil, Eugenia caryophyllata, has been implemented as home therapeutic medicine for its anesthetic effects. The active ingredient, eugenol inhibits voltage gated sodium channels, hence sedating as an anesthetic. Clove oil provides an alternative for synthetic analgesics including morphine. The typical application of clove oil consists of topical application through liquid immersion. In addition to liquid, emulsification gel application allows for another form of controlled penetrative topical drug delivery. Moreover epicutaneous application through microneedles allowed for a non-invasive administrative method of delivering clove oil between the cuticle and epidermis. Earthworms Lumbricus terrestris were the specimens tested due to their complex neurological functionalities. Mobility, convulsions, stimuli response, regeneration, and mortality were evaluated with concentrations of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% with gel/immersion, and additional 0.5% with epicutaneous application. Different components of the experiment were conducted within a time-span of three years. 1% epicutaneous was shown to sedate the stimuli response of earthworms at an extremely fast rate. Furthermore 1% clove oil of all administration methods were the most effective as compared to lower concentrations 0.5% and higher concentrations 2%-3%. None of the administrative methods or concentrations of clove oil application caused limitations in regeneration, convulsive movements, or increased rate in mortality. The limitations of this experiment consist of not consistently regulating the temperature of the medium. Future implications consist of more trials for validation and evaluating vaporization as another potential application. 1% epicutaneous showed an efficient form of sedation without severe behavioral and physiological complications.
A Eugenius Way of Anesthesia: The Effects of Different Clove Oil Anesthesia Administration Methods on Earthworm Physiology and Behavior 