Eugenol is a hydroxyphenyl propene, naturally occurring in the essential oils of several plants belonging to the Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, and Myristicaceae families. It is one of the major constituents of clove (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry, Myrtaceae) oil and is largely used in both foods and cosmetics as a flavoring agent. A large body of recent scientific evidence supports claims from traditional medicine that eugenol exerts beneficial effects on human health. These effects are mainly associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Eugenol has also shown excellent antimicrobial activity in studies, being active against fungi and a wide range of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The aim of this review is to analyze scientific data from the main published studies describing the antibacterial and antifungal activities of eugenol targeting different kind of microorganisms, such as those responsible for human infectious diseases, diseases of the oral cavity, and food-borne pathogens. This article also reports the effects of eugenol on multi-drug resistant microorganisms. On the basis of this collected data, eugenol represents a very interesting bioactive compound with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against both planktonic and sessile cells belonging to food-decaying microorganisms and human pathogens.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine-gynecology disorder affecting many women of childbearing age. Although a part of the involved mechanism in PCOS occurrence is discovered, the exact etiology and pathophysiology are not comprehensively understood yet. We searched PubMed for PCOS pathogenesis and management in this article and ClinicalTrials.gov for information on repurposed medications. All responsible factors behind PCOS were thoroughly evaluated. Furthermore, the complete information on PCOS commonly prescribed and repurposed medications is summarized through tables. Epigenetics, environmental toxicants, stress, diet as external factors, insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, inflammation, oxidative stress, and obesity as internal factors were investigated. Lifestyle modifications and complementary and alternative medicines are preferred first-line therapy in many cases. Medications, including 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-3-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, glucose-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, mucolytic agents, and some supplements have supporting data for being repurposed in PCOS. Since there are few completed clinical trials with a low population and mostly without results on PCOS repurposed medications, it would be helpful to do further research and run well-designed clinical trials on this subject. Moreover, understanding more about PCOS would be beneficial to find new medications implying the effect via the novel discovered routes.