Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Background/aimCinnamon spice is obtained by drying the tree bark of the Cinnamomum Schaeff genus. Cinnamomum genus belongs to the Lauraceae family and there are approximately 250 different species around the world. The most common species in the market are Cinnamomum verum J. S. Presl, C. cassia (L.) J. Presl, C. burmannii (Nees & T. Nees) Blume and C. loureiroi Nees. Cinnamon and its by-products are used for many years for their antidiabetic effect. In this research, the major chemical content and in vitro antidiabetic activities of different commercially available cinnamon samples were evaluated to conclude whether they are safe to use for health purposes.Materials and methods Macroscopic analyses, chromatographic analyses and enzyme inhibition assay on diabetes-related enzymes (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, aldose reductase) were performed on total seven different samples (cinnamon sticks, tea bags, capsules).ResultsAs a result of the study, cinnamon samples inhibited diabetes-related enzymes. The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of different cinnamon species demonstrated 7.73 - 333.69 mg/g trans-cinnamaldehyde, additionally up to 43.73 mg/g coumarin. Decoction and ethanolic extracts of C. cassia, C. burmannii, and C. loureiroi cinnamon sticks were detected to contain high levels of coumarin, which could pose a health risk, according to European Food Safety Authority data. Although antidiabetic activity was observed in the ready-made samples purchased from the herbalist, trans-cinnamaldehyde or coumarin compounds were not detected in HPLC analysis.ConclusionThe findings revealed that the source of the Cinnamon spice is crucial for the utilization of cinnamon both in food and therapeutic purposes. This research once again showed the importance of meticulous inspection of the products sold by herbalists.
DOI
10.55730/1300-0144.5972
Keywords
Cinnamomum species, cinnamon, diabetes, enzyme inhibition, high pressure liquid chromatography
First Page
313
Last Page
327
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
MANCAK, METHİYE and ÇALIŞKAN, UFUK KOCA
(2025)
"Are cinnamon derivatives effective and safe for diabetes?,"
Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences: Vol. 55:
No.
1, Article 36.
https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.5972
Available at:
https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/vol55/iss1/36
