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Medicinal Plant details |
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Information |
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| Sanskrit Name |
Twak |
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| Common name in English |
Cassia, Sweet Wood, Cinnamon |
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| Botanical Name |
Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume
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| Historical Accounts |
Cinnamon is an ancient herbal medicine mentioned in Chinese texts as long ago as 4,000 years. Cinnamon was used in ancient Egypt for embalming. In ancient times, it was added to food to prevent spoiling. During the Bubonic Plague, sponges were soaked in cinnamon & cloves, and placed in sick rooms. Cinnamon was the most sought after spice during explorations of the 15th and 16th centuries. |
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| Parts Used |
Bark |
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| Human Medicinal Usage |
Several toothpastes are cinnamon-flavored-for good reason. Cinnamon is an antiseptic that helps kill the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. Like many culinary spices, Cinnamon helps calm the stomach. But a Japanese study of animals revealed that this spice may also help prevent ulcers. One German study showed that Cinnamon "suppresses completely" the cause of most urinary-tract infections (Escherichia coli bacteria) and the fungus responsible for vaginal yeast infections (Candida albicans) and abortive activity (Narayan et al., 1980a; Chulasiri et al., 1984; Lemonica and Macedo, 1994; Tiwari et al., 1994 and Kamath et al., 2003).
Some studies have shown that Cinnamon helps people with diabetes metabolize sugar better. In adult-onset (Type II) diabetes, the pancreas produces insulin, but the body can't use it efficiently to break down blood sugar. Researchers discovered that Cinnamon reduces the amount of insulin necessary for glucose metabolism.
Carminative, astringent, stimulant, antiseptic; more powerful as a local than as a general stimulant; is prescribed in powder and infusion but usually combined with other medicines. It stops vomiting, relieves flatulence, and given with chalk and astringents is useful for diarrhea and hemorrhage of the womb. |
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| Veterinary Medicinal Usage |
250 gm turmeric (Curcuma longa), ten gm laung(Caryophyllus aromaticus), ten gm 'dal chini' (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), and two fruits of jaifal (Myristica fragrans) when mixed and ground, can be an effective antiseptic powder to heal chronic payogenic wounds.
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| Other Usage |
In modern times, cinnamon is used to flavour a variety of foods, from confections to curries; in Europe and the United States it is especially popular in bakery goods.
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| Synonyms |
Cinnamomum verum Presl. |
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| Family |
Lauraceae |
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| Description |
Tree about 30 feet high. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, entire, smooth and shining, tasting of cloves. Flowers in panicles, usually unisexual. Drupe 1-seeded, the seed large, with oily cotyledons. Long, cylindrical quills deprived of the corky layer by scraping; compound, consisting of 8 or more thin, papery, light brownish-yellow, quilled layers, enclosed one within the other, their sides curling inward, giving the sticks a flattened appearance on one side; somewhat flexible, with a splintery fracture; the outer surface is marked with shining, wavy bast lines, and occasionally with small scars or perforations indicating the former position of leaves; under the microscope it is seen to be formed by a layer of stone cells. The inner surface is darker and striated. A characteristic, sweet, fragrant odor, and a warm, aromatic, pungent, and sweetish taste run through the different cinnamon barks, but the taste of the Ceylon cinnamon is the more delicate.
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| Common Name in India |
Dalchini (Bengali, .Hindi & Marathi); Taj (Gujarati); Lavangapatte (Kannada); Karuva, vazhana (Malayalam); Dalochini (Oriya) Cannalavanagpattai, ilayangam Aakerpatri (Tamil); Sanna lavanga (Telugu).
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| Habitat |
It thrives best at elevations of 1,500-2,000 m provided the temperature does not fall below -10.
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| Rainfall |
It can withstand an annual rainfall of 110-260 cm. However, it can be cultivated in all parts of the country with annual rainfall of 100 cm.
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| Soil (Physical/Chemical) |
For its successful cultivation, a fertile, well-drained, sandy loam is needed. Deeply tilled clay soils are also suitable but they should be rendered porous by mixing loam, leaf mould and sand.
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| Regional Distribution |
It is found in South India, Western Ghats and also in parts of UP and West Bengal.
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| Global Distribution |
Distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia, Australia, the Pacific region and South America.
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| Harvest |
In the second or third year after planting, the trees are coppiced to induce the formation of shoots, of which only 5 or 6 are allowed to grow for about 2 years, or until the bark begins to turn brown by the formation of a corky layer. The shoots are then 1.8 to 2.4 m in length and 1.3 to 5 cm in diam and are ready for harvesting.
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| Pests / Diseases |
In seedling stage Diplodia spp. Cause blighting of the stem resulting in light brown patches. The infected seedlings subsequently die. Glomerella cingulata causes severe damage to seedlings by causing die-back. During early monsoon `pink disease' caused by Corticium javanicum is found in some parts of Kerala. Gloeosporium spp. Cause dark brown leaf spots.
A large number of insect pests have been reported to attack cinnamon plants, cinnamon butterfly and leaf miner being the major pests. Cinnamon butterfly, Chilasa clytia (Linn.) begins to appear from December onwards when the trees put forth new flushes. The caterpillars feed voraciously on the lamina of emerging leaves and completely defoliate the new plantations in severe cases of infestation. Bharetta cinnamomea Moore is another butterfly reported to damage young plants.
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| Chemical composition |
Analysis of the bark gave moisture, 10.7; protein, 12.5; fat, 1.1; fibre, 28.5; carbohydrates, 45.5; ash, 1.7g/100g; calcium, 341.3; phosphorus, 99.8; and iron, 9.0 mg/100g; and energy, 241 cal/100g. It contains a significant amount of a mucilaginous substance, which consists mainly of a water extractable L-arabino-D-xylan and an alkali-extractable D-glucan. The bark also contains the diterpenes, cinnzeylanin and cinnzeylanol besides tannin (6.5%).
The essential oil of leaf contains eugenol (94.5%) and cinnamaldehyde (2.8%). eugenol, O-methyl eugenol, benzaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, l-a-pinene, l-a-and l--phellandrene, p -cymene, caryophyllene, benzyl benzoate and linalool. Presence of safrole, acetyleugenol, cinnamyl acetate and cinnamyl alcohol is also reported. The leaf oil differs from bark oil in having eugenol as the major constituent instead of cinnamaldehyde. The rootbark yields an essential oil having a camphoraceous odour. The oil contains: camphor, 60; 1,8-cineol, 15.2; cinnamaldehyde, 3.9; eugenol, 5; a-terpineol, 3.8; a-pinene, 1.7; -pinene, 1.2; and linalool, 1.2%. Presence of limonene, camphene, safrole, cinnamyl acetate and benzyl benzoate is also reported. |
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REFERENCES |
| SR No. |
NAME |
ARTICLE TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PLACE OF PUBLICATION |
VOLUME/ISSUE |
YEAR |
PUBLISHER |
COMMENT |
| 1 |
International Journal of Crude Drug Research. |
The cytotoxic effect of petroleum ether and chloroform extracts from Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Nees) barks on tumor cells in vitro. |
Chulasiri, MU, Picha, P, Rienkijkan, M, Preechanukool, K. |
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22(4): 177-180. |
1984. |
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| 2 |
International Journal of Crude Drug Research. |
The cytotoxic effect of petroleum ether and chloroform extracts from Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Nees) barks on tumor cells in vitro. |
Chulasiri, MU, Picha, P, Rienkijkan, M, Preechanukool, K. |
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22(4): 177-180. |
1984. |
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| 3 |
Pro-healing effect of Cinnamomum zeylanicum bark. |
Phytotherapy Research. |
Kamath, JV, Rana, AC, Chowdhury, AR. |
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17(8): 970-972. |
2003. |
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| 4 |
Fitoterapia.
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Abortive and/or embryofetotoxic effect of Cinnamomum zeylanicum leaf extracts in pregnant rats |
Lemonica, IP, Borro Macedo, AMR. |
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65(5): 431-434. |
1994 |
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| 5 |
Indian Drugs.
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Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume |
Narayan, V, Rao, KK, Giridhar, R. |
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17(11): 360-362. |
1980 |
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| 6 |
Indian Perfumer.
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Studies on fungitoxic properties of essential oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Breyn. |
Tiwari, R, Dixit, R, Dixit, SN. |
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38(3): 98-104. |
1994 |
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| 7 |
Indian Perfumer.
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Studies on fungitoxic properties of essential oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Breyn. |
Tiwari, R, Dixit, R, Dixit, SN. |
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38(3): 98-104. |
1994 |
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| 8 |
American Journal of Chinese Medicine. |
Gastroprotective activity of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) in albino rats |
Al-Yahya, MA, Rafatullah, S, Mossa, JS, Ageel, AM, Parmar, NS, Tariq, M. |
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17(1/2):51-56. |
1989. |
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