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Cinnamon bark is used worldwide due to its characteristic flavour and medicinal properties. Ceylon cinnamon or “true” cinnamon bark refers to the dried inner bark of the shoots of Cinnamomum verum J. Presl, originated from Sri Lanka. The bark of some other species of this genus, Cinnamomum cassia Blume (Chinese cinnamon), C. burmanni (Nees & T. Nees) Blume (Indonesian cinnamon), and C. loureiroi Nees (Saigon cinnamon) are also marketed and sold as cinnamon. They are characterised by a significantly higher amount of coumarin compared to Ceylon cinnamon bark. Since coumarin may be potentially hepatotoxic, the aim of this study was to determine coumarin level in commercial samples of cinnamon bark and in cinnamon-containing dietary supplements present on the Serbian market. HPLC analysis showed lowest coumarin content in Ceylon cinnamon bark samples (0.08-0.15 mg g-1), whereas other samples contained a significantly higher amounts of coumarin (1.38-5.80 mg g-1). Cinnamon based dietary supplements contained 0.007-1.19 mg coumarin/tablet. The obtained results indicate that the majority of commercial samples of cinnamon bark on the Serbian market do not originate from the Ceylon cinnamon but from other species of this genus, and that consumed amount of certain products should be taken into account since the tolerable daily intake of coumarin is limited.

Control of diabetes is a constant challenge and natural remedies are being searched along with modern medicine. The effectiveness of cinnamon in managing it lacks consensus. Besides this, earlier trials had a variant in the type of product they used, quantity, duration, the form of molecules, etc. So, we aimed to measure the impact of cassia ground bark powder consumption, 1-2 gm/day for 90 days, in lowering plasma glucose and lipids among those with type 2 diabetes. The authors searched the PubMed, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Clinical Key, Ovid, and Scopus databases and the Cochrane Central Register (last search December 30, 2020) with the MeSH terms and keywords of cinnamon, cassia cinnamon, Chinese cinnamon, and type 2 diabetes mellitus to conclude the effects of cassia cinnamon on diabetes based on the evidence of human clinical trials that reported at least one of the following: glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C), fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Weighted mean differences were calculated by using the random-effect model of RevMan software (The Cochrane Collaboration, London, UK), and the pooled analysis found an insignificant reduction of the outcome variable (p>0.05).

Background The tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Neumann) is a well-known vector of numerous pathogens of veterinary and medical importance. Various control strategies, including the use of synthetic pesticides, have been developed to control this tick species. However, demand for effective and safe alternative pesticides is increasing due to the adverse effects associated with the intensive and injudicious use of synthetic pesticides, which include undesirable effects on non-target species and environmental pollution. Hence, the acaricidal activity of the extract and the essential oil of Cinnamomum cassia (Chinese cinnamon) and their major components, and the underlying mechanisms of this activity, were evaluated against unfed larvae and nymphs of H. longicornis. Methods The components of the extract and essential oil of C. cassia were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and their larvicidal and nymphicidal activity were evaluated using the larval and nymphal packet test. The underlying detoxification mechanism was elucidated by targeting in vivo esterase and monooxygenase activity, and the toxicological effect was assessed on non-target Tenebrio molitor and Harmonia axyridis by topical application in open Petri dishes. Results (E)-cinnamaldehyde was the predominant component of the extract (50.79%) and essential oil (89.95%). The 50% lethal concentration (LC50) for larvae and nymphs treated with the extract was 11.56 and 49.18 mg/mL, respectively. The essential oil, (E)-cinnamaldehyde and fenvalerate exhibited acaricidal activity, with LC50 values of 3.81, 3.15, and 0.14 mg/mL, respectively, against the larvae, and 21.31, 16.93, and 1.89 mg/mL, respectively, against the nymphs. (E)-cinnamaldehyde significantly increased esterase and monooxygenase activity in both larvae and nymphs. Unlike fenvalerate, C. cassia essential oil and (E)-cinnamaldehyde did not cause mortality of T. molitor or H. axyridis adults. Conclusions This study demonstrates that C. cassia essential oil and (E)-cinnamaldehyde have the potential to be developed into botanical-based larvicidal and nymphicidal agents for tick control. Graphical abstract

Quantitative NMR metabolomics approach was developed to distinguish two cinnamon species (Ceylon Cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum and Chinese Cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia) that are interchangeably used in food products. The results of the analyses of 10 bark accessions revealed for 9 key sensory metabolites, with (E)-cinnamaldehyde as the major form. Multivariate data analyses revealed for eugenol leading presence in C. verum versus fatty acid enrichment in C. cassia. This research provides the first NMR metabolites fingerprinting of the two major cinnamon resources. Compounds related to C. verum aroma and taste were identified and quantified that can be utilized as markers for the authentication of this valuable drug. Novel insight on metabolites mediating for C. verum antidiabetic effect is also presented.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of Chinese cinnamon powder (w/w), at the levels of 0.5%, 1.5%, and 2.5% and control (without additive) on ground lamb meat quality. The samples were stored at 4°C and examined for pH, color, lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) and total viable counts (TVC). The results demonstrated that pH values were declined with the increase of Chinese cinnamon levels compared to control group. The L* values throughout the storage were significantly higher (p

There is a huge concern in the medical field concerning the emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Essential oils are a source of antibacterial compounds that can overcome this problem. Ten essential oils that are commercially available were investigated in the present study: ajowan, basil, German chamomile, Chinese cinnamon, coriander, clove, lemongrass, Spanish lavender, oregano and palmarosa. Their direct, synergistic and indirect antibacterial activities were evaluated against different human pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. To evaluate their possible use in clinics, the cytotoxicity of these essential oils was also tested on keratinocyte and epithelial cell lines. Except for the Chinese cinnamon, coriander and lemongrass, all other essential oils presented no cytotoxicity at 32 and 16 &mu, g/mL. The highest indirect antibacterial activities were observed with the palmarosa and Spanish lavender in association with penicillin V. These two associations presented a 64-fold decrease against a resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus, however, at a cytotoxic concentration. It can also be highlighted that when tested at a non-cytotoxic concentration, the activity of oregano in association with penicillin V presented an eight-fold decrease. These results show the interest to use essential oils in combination with antibiotics to reduce their concentrations inside drugs.

Essential oils (EOs) were steam-extracted from the needles and twigs of balsam fir, black spruce, white spruce, tamarack, jack pine and eastern white cedar that remained after logging in eastern Canada. These EOs, similarly to that from Labrador tea and other commercial EOs from Chinese cinnamon, clove and lemon eucalyptus, exhibited many common constituent compounds (mainly α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene and bornyl acetate) making up 91 % of each oil based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. All of these oils exhibited antibacterial properties, especially when examined in closed tube assay compared to the traditional 96-well microliter format. These antimicrobial activities (minimum inhibitory concentration ≥0.2 % w/v), comparable to those of exotic EOs, were shown against common pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The antioxidant potential of the boreal samples was determined by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (concentration providing 50 % inhibition ≥7 mg/ml) and reducing power methods. Finally, this investigation revealed some boreal EOs to be potential antimicrobial and antioxidant agents that would notably benefit products in the personal hygiene and care industry.

While the chemical composition of leaf and stem bark essential oils of the Chinese cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl, has been well investigated, little is known about the volatilom of its buds, which appeared recently on German markets. Soxhlet extracts of the commercial samples were prepared, fractionated using silica gel and characterised by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) for semi-quantification, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for identification and by GC-FID/olfactometry for sensory evaluation. Cinnamaldehyde was the most abundant compound with concentrations up to 40 mg/g sample. In total, 36 compounds were identified and 30 were semi-quantified. The extracts contained mostly phenylpropanoids, mono- and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated derivatives. Because of the high abundance of cinnamaldehyde, the aldehyde fraction was removed from the extracts by adding hydrogen sulphite to improve both the detection of trace compounds and column chromatography. The aldehyde fraction was analysed by GC-MS separately. The highest flavour dilution factor of 316 was calculated for cinnamaldehyde. Other main sensory contributors were 2-phenylethanol and cinnamyl alcohol. This report provides the first GC-olfactometry data of a plant part of a Cinnamomum species. The strongly lignified C. cassia buds combine a high abundance of cinnamaldehyde with comparably low coumarin concentrations (

International audience; The antibacterial activity of 32 Essential Oils (EOs) was assessed against four pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella Typhimurium) and one spoilage bacterium (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Agar diffusion, micro-atmosphere and microbroth assays were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity in solid, vapour and liquid phase, respectively. In solid phase, Red thyme, Red bergamot, Ajowan, Summer savory, Chinese cinnamon, and Cinnamon bark had higher inhibitory zone (20–40 mm) against five target bacteria as compared with other EOs. Red thyme, Red bergamot, Ajowan, Summer savory inhibited S. aureus by more than 60 mm. In vapour phase, at 30 μl of tested EOs, Chinese cinnamon and Red bergamot were the only EOs that inhibited all target bacteria with the inhibition zone from 20 to more than 60 mm depending on target bacteria. In liquid phase, Chinese cinnamon showed the best antibacterial activity among all EOs and it inhibited S. aureus and E. coli at low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 470 ppm. In checkerboard method, combined Chinese cinnamon and Cinnamon bark EOs showed additive antibacterial effects against all bacteria. Sensory evaluation of combined Chinese cinnamon and Cinnamon bark EOs used in cooked meat was conducted and an EO level of 0.05% was the highest organoleptically acceptable.

Coumarins are naturally occurring, aromatic secondary messengers with a benzopyrone scaffold and they have aroused significant interest due to their bioactivity and pharmacological properties. Coumarins occur in many different microorganisms, few animals and ubiquitously in plants such as grasses, papilionaceaes, tonka beans, in yellow melilots, Chinese cinnamon, woodruff, mahaleb cherry and dates. Although a huge number of pathways for the syntheses of coumarins are known, new routes to access coumarin derivatives still gain a high value in the field of organic synthesis. The possible applications of coumarins are manifold. They are not only used in medicinal chemistry but also e.g. for living cell imaging based on their fluorescent properties.

Summary This study presents the inhibitory activity of 31 essential oils tested by agar diffusion assay/aromatogramme on 658 vaginal microorganisms: 287 Candida albicans, 121 Escherichia coli, 114 Streptococcus group B (S. agalactiae), 80 Streptococcus group D (Enterococcus faecalis), 30 Staphylococcus aureus and 26 Staphylococcus epidermis. Statistical analysis (reciprocal averaging) demonstrates high antimicrobial activity of certain essential oils: Coridothymus capitatus Reichb. (Spanish oregano), Cinnamomum zeylanicum Ness. (Ceylon cinnamon), Cinnamomum cassia Ness. (Chinese cinnamon), Thymus vulgaris L. (Thyme), Satureja hortensis L. (savory), Thymus serpyllum L. (creeping thyme) and Pinus pinaster Ait. (turpentine resin). The agar diffusion assay/aromatogramme ensures a more effective aromatherapy treatment. A prescription with essential oils avoids over use of antibiotics. Furthermore, in some cases essential oils can be combined with antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases, giving faster and longer-lasting results.

The difficulty of diabetic nephropathy (DN) treatment makes prevention the best choice. Cinnamomum cassia barks, known as Chinese cinnamon or Chinese cassia, is one of the most popular natural spices and flavoring agents in many parts of the World. Since previous reports indicated that Chinese cinnamon extract could be used for the treatment of diabetes, we proposed that this spice may be beneficial for the prevention of DN. However, the responsible compounds need to be further identified. In this study, we isolated three new phenolic glycosides, cinnacassosides A-C (1-3), together with fifteen known compounds from the water soluble extract of Chinese cinnamon. The structures of the new compounds were identified by comprehensive spectroscopic evidence. Eleven compounds (6-9, 11, 13-18) were isolated from this spice for the first time, despite extensive research on this species in the past, which added new facets for the chemical profiling of this spice. These isolates were purposely evaluated for their inhibitory effects on IL-6 and extracellular matrix production in mesangial cells which are definitely implicated in DN. The results showed that compounds 4-8 could inhibit over secretion of IL-6, collagen IV and fibronectin against high-glucose-induced mesangial cells at 10 mu M, suggesting that Chinese cinnamon could be used as a functional food against DN.

Cinnamomum cassia Nees ex Bl. is known in the society as Chinese cinnamon. One of the uses of Chinese cinnamon is as a fungicide because of its volatile oil contents. The purpose of this research was to find out the base type effect of oil base, emulsion base, water soluble base toward fungicide activity of Chinese cinnamon barks volatile oil on Candida albicans growth inhibition. The fungicide activity test of Chinese cinnamon barks volatile oil in the three base type using diffusion methods (agar plate) was done by measuring the diameter of inhibited area toward Candida albicans growth. The inhibited area diameter result was analyzed with one way anova test and continued with Tukey test at 95% confidential level. The obtained result showed that the three base type was significantly different toward the fungicide activity of chinese cinnamon barks volatile oil. The largest inhibited area (from largest to the lowest) was water soluble base, emulsion base, and oil base. Keywords : minyak cassia, basis salep, Candida albicans

Objetivou-se avaliar o fornecimento de misturas de extratos vegetais nas dietas de frangos de corte. Utilizaram-se 1.350 aves distribuídas em blocos casualizados, com seis repetições e cinco dietas, uma sem aditivos e outras quatro, cada uma contendo um dos aditivos: 10 ppm de avilamicina; 200 ppm de um produto contendo óleos essenciais de cravo, tomilho, canela e pimenta; 100 ppm de um produto comercial composto de óleos essenciais sintéticos de orégano e canela e óleo-resina de pimenta microencapsulados; 500 ppm de um produto comercial constituído de óleo de eucalipto, óleo essencial de canela-da-china, folhas de boldo-do-chile e sementes de feno-grego na fase inicial e 1.200 ppm nas fases de crescimento e final. Aos 21 e 42 dias, foram avaliadas as variáveis de desempenho e aos 44 dias de idade, as características de carcaça. Dos 27 aos 30 dias de idade, foi realizado o ensaio de metabolismo pelo método de coleta total de excretas e determinadas a energia metabolizável e a digestibilidade da proteína bruta das dietas. As dietas com misturas de extratos vegetais não tiveram efeito significativo sobre o desempenho se comparadas à dieta sem aditivo e à dieta com antibiótico. A ausência de desafio na criação e a utilização de dietas com ingredientes de alta digestibilidade podem ter contribuído para que as aves expressassem todo o seu potencial, tornando indetectável a melhora ocasionada pela inclusão de qualquer dos aditivos. Dietas contendo misturas de extratos vegetais promovem desempenho semelhante ao obtido com dietas contendo antibiótico. The trial was carried out to evaluate different blends of plants extracts in broilers diets. It was used 1,350 broilers distributed in a randomized block design with six replicates and five diets, one without additive and the four others, each containing one of the following additives: 10 ppm of avilamycin; 200 ppm of a product containing essential oils of carnation, thyme, cinnamon and microencapsulated capsicum; 100 ppm of a product containing essential oils of synthetic cinnamaldehyde and carvacrol and capsicum oleoresin microencapsulated; 500 ppm of a commercial product containing eucalypt oil, essential oil of Chinese cinnamon, leaves of Chilene boldo and seeds of fenu-Greek at the initial phase and 1200 ppm in the grower and finisher phases. Performance parameters were evaluated at 21 and 42 days of age and the carcass characteristics at 44 days of age. From 27 to 30 days of age, it was carried out the metabolism trial trough total excreta collection method and metabolizable energy and the crude protein digestibility of the diets were determined. The diets with plant extract blends had no significant effect on the performance when compared to diet without additives or diet with avilamycin. The lack of challenge in the experimental facilities and the use of diets with high digestibility ingredients might have contributed to broilers express all their potential making undetectable the improvement made by the inclusion of any of these additivies. Diets with plant extract blends promote performance similar to those obtained with diets containing avilamycin.

Alginate-based edible films containing 1% (wt/vol) essential oils of Spanish oregano, Chinese cinnamon, or savory were immersed in 2% (wt/vol) or 20% (wt/vol) CaCl2 solution and then applied to beef muscle slices to control the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium. Whole beef muscle surfaces were inoculated with one of these strains at 10(3) CFU/cm2. During the 5 days of storage, samples of meat were obtained periodically for microbiological analysis. The availability of active compounds from essential oils present in films was evaluated by determination of total phenolic compounds for oregano- and savory-based films and of total aldehydes for cinnamon-based films during storage. After 5 days of storage, films containing oregano or cinnamon essential oils were the most effective against Salmonella Typhimurium regardless of the type of pretreatment used (2 or 20% CaCl2). During the same period, meat inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and coated with films treated with 2% CaCl2 had significantly fewer bacteria (P < or = 0.05) when oregano-based films were used than when cinnamon- and savory-based films were used. The E. coli O157:H7 concentration was higher at the end of the storage period when films were pretreated with 20% CaCl2. Evaluation of the active compounds in films revealed that availability in oregano- and savory-based films was significantly more important (P < or = 0.05) than that in cinnamon-based films regardless of the type of pretreatment used (2 or 20% CaCl2). At the end of storage, release rates of 40, 60, and 77% were noted in oregano-, savory-, and cinnamon-based films in 2% CaCl2 and rates of 65, 62, and 90% were noted in the same films in 20% CaCl2.

The mechanism of the antimicrobial action of Spanish oregano (Corydothymus capitatus), Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), and savory (Satureja montana) essential oils against cell membranes and walls of bacteria was studied by the measurement of the intracellular pH and ATP concentration, the release of cell constituents, and the electronic microscopy observations of the cells when these essential oils at their MICs were in contact with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes, two pathogenic foodborne bacteria, were used as gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial models, respectively. Treatment with these essential oils at their MICs affected the membrane integrity of bacteria and induced depletion of the intracellular ATP concentration. Spanish oregano and savory essential oils, however, induced more depletion than Chinese cinnamon oil. An increase of the extracellular ATP concentration was observed only when Spanish oregano and savory oils were in contact with E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes. Also, a significantly higher (P < or = 0.05) cell constituent release was observed in the supernatant when E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes cells were treated with Chinese cinnamon and Spanish oregano oils. Chinese cinnamon oil was more effective to reduce significantly the intracellular pH of E. coli O157:H7, whereas Chinese cinnamon and Spanish oregano decreased more significantly the intracellular pH of L. monocytogenes. Electronic microscopy observations revealed that the cell membrane of both treated bacteria was significantly damaged. These results suggest that the cytoplasmic membrane is involved in the toxic action of essential oils.

Inorganic constituents of many Cinnamomi Cortices (64 samples; almost all obtained commercially on the Osaka market) were investigated using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.The results can be summarized as follows : (1) The Cinnamomi Cortex contains K, Ca, and Fe (except for Japanese cinnamon) at lower levels than those of orchard leaves, while Mn and Sr are present at high levels. (2) A feature of the metals profile of Cinnamomi Cortex is high Mn-content. Especially, Chinese cinnamon (originated from Cinnamomum cassia) contains at extremely high levels, 300-900 ppm, whereas Mn concentrations of Java and Japanese cinnamons range from 100 to 300 ppm, and those of Ceylon cinnamon ranged from 50 to 150 ppm. (3) The contents of Mn and Rb depend on the kind of Cinnamomi Cortex, making identification possible.

Two active compounds that prevent serotonin-induced ulcerogenesis in rats were isolated from Chinese cinnamon (the stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia) and identified as 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-propanoic acid and its O-glucoside. The former compound, administered orally or parenterally to rats at a remarkably low dose (40 micrograms/kg body weight), also inhibited gastric ulcers induced by the other ulcerogens such as phenylbutazone, ethanol, and water immersion stress, although it failed to prevent indomethacin-induced ulcers. Pharmacological studies have shown that 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-propanoic acid hardly inhibited the secretion of gastric acid, but promoted the gastric blood flow. These results suggest that the antiulcerogenic effect of this compound is probably attributable to the potentiation of defensive factors through the improvement of the circulatory disorder and gastric cytoprotection.

The intraperitoneal administration of an aqueous extract of Chinese cinnamon ( CINNAMOMUM CASSIA) to rats at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight prevented the occurrence of stress ulcers under exposure to a cold atmosphere (3-5° C) or on restraint in water (22-24° C). This extract, which was administered to rats orally or intraperitoneally, also strongly inhibited gastric ulcers induced by a subcutaneous injection of serotonin in rats. Pharmacological studies have shown that the aqueous extract not only inhibits gastric secretion, but also promotes gastric mucosal blood flow. These results suggest that the antiulcerogenic effect of Chinese cinnamon is due to both the inhibition of aggressive factors and the potentiation of a defensive factor.