The essential oil of Eugenia caryophyllata (clove oil; Family: Myrtaceae) is 
used in dental care as an antiseptic and analgesic. The study aims to evaluate 
the effect of clove oil on experimental models of pain and cognition in mice. To 
observe the acute effects of clove oil at different doses, the elevated plus 
maze was used for the assessment of cognition, and the tail flick and formalin 
tests were used for the study of pain. The formalin test showed that clove oil 
(0.1 ml/kg, i.p.) demonstrated significantly reduced pain response in both the 
phases. The lower doses (0.025 and 0.05 ml/kg, i.p.) reduced the 
formalin-induced pain response significantly in the second phase only. The 
tail-flick test showed variable response. The dose 0.1 ml/kg, clove oil, 
significantly decreased the tail-flick latency at 30 min and this effect was 
reversed by naloxone (1 mg/kg). On the contrary, the dose 0.025 ml/kg of clove 
oil, at 30 and 60 min increased the mean tail-flick latency compared to control 
group, but this effect was not statistically significant. Yet naloxone 
significantly (p < 0.05) reversed the effect of clove oil 0.025 ml/kg at 30 min. 
Clove oil (0.025 and 0.05 ml/kg, i.p.) significantly reversed the 
scopolamine-induced retention memory deficit induced by scopolamine, but clove 
oil (0.1 ml/kg, i.p.) significantly reversed both acquisition as well as 
retention deficits in elevated plus maze induced by the scopolamine. Clove oil 
exhibits reduced pain response by a predominantly peripheral action as evidenced 
by formalin test and the tail flick test showed the involvement of opioid 
receptors. Clove oil also significantly improved scopolamine-induced retention 
memory deficit at all doses.