 Botany
Canela is a medium-sized tree, reaching a height of 12 to 20 meters. Young parts of the plant are smooth, except for the buds, which have fine, silky hairs. Leaves are leathery, shining, oval or oval-lanceolate, 8 to 15 centimeters long, pointed at both ends. Blade is strongly 3- or 5-nerved. Panicles are usually about as long as the leaves, mostly clustered in the upper axils. Flowers are numerous, pale yellow, small, and covered outside with grayish hairs. Fruit is oblong-ovoid, about 1 centimeter long, dry or slightly fleshy, and surrounded by the enlarged, persistent perianth.
Distribution
- Introduced from India or Ceylon, where it is native.
- Occasionally planted or cultivatedf in Manila gardens and other large towns.
Constituents
- The bark yields cinnamon oil, 1/2 to 1 percent. The oil is a golden-yellow liquid, with a specific gravity of 1.035, with a powerful cinnamon odor, with a sweet and aromatic but burning taste. It deviates a ray of polarized light slightly to the left. The oil consists chiefly of cinnamic aldehyde, with variable proportions of hydrocarbons. Cinnamon contains sugar, mannite, starch, mucilage and tannic acid.
- Cinnamon leaf contains a larger percentage of eugenol than bark oil. It is used to adulterate bark oil, usually by putting the leaves in the still along with the bark. Leaf oil used to enter the market as root oil. Its high content of eugenol makes it useful in the perfume and flavoring industries, and is one of the sources of artificial vanilla.
- Cinnamon-root oil contains camphor and ither aromatic substances including cinnamic aldehyde, eucalyptol and safrol.
- Cinnamon seeds contain 33 percent fat which used to be made into expensive candles, still used in churches.
- While the chief constituent of the oil is cinnamic aldehyde, it also contains small quantities of phellandrene, pinene, linalol, caryophyllene, eugenol, among others.
Properties
- In medicine, cinnamon is considered a cordial and stimulant, with aromatic and mild astringent properties.
- Bark is considered carminative, antispasmodic, aromatic, stimulant, hemostatic, astringent, antiseptic and germicide.
- Oil is considered vascular and nervine; in large doses, irritant and a narcotic poison.
Parts used
Bark, oil.
Uses
Culinary
Used as a spice and flavoring agent in beverages.
Folkloric
- In Johore medicine, used for colic and diarrhea.
- The bark - in infusion, decoction, powder or oil - is used for dyspepsia, flatulence, diarrhea and vomiting; also, as an adjunct to bitter tonics, purgatives, vegetable and mineral astringents.
- Used as uterine stimulant; also, for menorrhagia and in tedious labor due to defective uterine contractions.
- Powdered cinnamon in 10 to 20 grain doses is a reputed remedy for diarrhear and dysentery.
- Crystalline cinnamic acid is used as antitubercular and as injection in phthsis.
- Used as a stimulant; given for abdominal cramps, enteralgia, toothace and tongue paralysis.
- Essential oil used a stimulant in amenorrhea.
- Oil is applied locally for headaches and neuralgia.
- Used as an antiseptic injection in gonorrhea.
- As a germicide, used internally in typhoid fever.
- Used in massive doses for treatment of cancer and microbic diseases.
- A frequent ingredient in pillmasses.
Used for strengthening the gums and to perfume the breath.
In Antilles, used as a stomachic, aperitive and for dyspepsia.
Closely allied in medical properties and uses to cloves, for which it is substituted when the latter is not available.
Others
- Cinnamon bark is a constituent of a multi-ingredient preparation, applied to the penis for premature ejaculation.
- Cinnamon oil used in the manufacture of personal and cosmetic products - mouthwashes, toothpaste, gargles, lotions, soaps, liniments and various cosmetics.
Studies
• Antioxidant / Scavenging Activity: (1) The methanolic extract of C verum leaf exhibited free radical scavenging activity against DPPH radical and ABTS radical cation. The peroxidation inhibiting activity showed very good antioxidant activity. (2) Study showed CZ essential oil exhibits a significant antioxidant activity in fattening chickens and can be used as a source of antioxidant in dietary supplements.
• Toxicity Studies / Spermatogenic Effects: Study showed no acute or chronic toxicity or mortality. There was a significant increase in reproductive organ weights, sperm motility, sperm count, and failed to illicity any spermatotoxic effect.
• Mould Inhibitory Effect: Study showed the intense antimould potential of C zeylanicum essential oil and b-pinene which could find rational use in pharmaceutical formulations used to treat some mycoses, especially dematiaceous moulds.
• Antifungal: In a study evaluating the in vitro activity of C. zeylanicum against fluconazole-resistant and susceptible Candida isolates, the MICs of the bark of Cz were slightly better than commercially available cinnamon powder. Trans-cinnamaldehyde and O-methoxycinnamaldehyde had MICs of 0.03-0.5 mg/ml. Three of five patients had imporvement of their oral candidiasis.
• Antidiabetic: Oral administration of ethanolic extract of C. zeylanicum leaves to alloxan-induced diabetic rats sigificantly reduced their blood levels under acute and subacute studies.
• Antiparasitic: (1) Study investigated the possible antiparasitic effect of Czd bark oil in rabbits with sarcoptic mange. Rabbits showed improved oxidative status after recovery and restored reproductive performance. (2) Study investigating the in vitro and in vivo acaricidal effects of an essential oil of CZ leaves in rabbits with Psoroptes cuniculi, a mange mite showed good in vitro acaricidal efficacy. In vivo, the treatment with essential oil cured all infested rabbits.
• Anti-Inflammatory: Study of the ethanol extract of Cz showed potent anti-inflammatory activity with suppression of intracellular release of TNF-a gene expression in LPS-stimulated human PBMCs.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Essential oil, powders in the cybermarkets.
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