Selected bioactive compounds content of cinnamon spice

Abstract

Cinnamon spice is obtained by peeling the inner bark of an evergreen tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum (fam. Lauraceae), native to Sri Lanka. It is one of the earliest known spices on the Asian continent. Today, it is highly valued and widely used all around the world, as a whole (bark sticks), ground spice or essential oil. Cinnamon has a long tradition of use in cooking (as flavoring agent), aromatherapy (as fragrant agent), traditional medicine (for treatment toothache, dental problems, bad breath, diabetes, rheumatism), and is also recognized in official medicine (show antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory activities). The biological activity of cinnamon is attributed to a number of bioactive compounds, and as the most important stood out cinnamaldehyde and trans-cinnamaldehyde (Cin). In this study, dry, ground cinnamon was analysed to determine the content of: total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), total hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (HCAs) and total carotenoids (TCC). Bioactive compounds were extracted by solvent extraction (SE) and ultrasound assisted extraction (USE) in 80% acetone and warm water (50 °C). The content of bioactive compounds were determined spectrophotometrically. The TPC in acetone extracts prepared by UAE was the highest (29.83 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g of DW), but did not show a significant difference in comparison to TPC achieved in acetone extract obtained by SE (29.79 ± 0.11 mg GAE/g of DW). The highest TFC (1.41 ± 0.17 mg CE/g of DW) and HCAs (14.59 ± 0.79 mg CGAE/g of DW) were observed in acetone extract prepared by SE, while the highest TCC (277.10 ± 4.82 μg/g) was acquired in acetone extract prepared by UAE. Also, the content of tested bioactive compounds of cinnamon in water extracts was higher compared to some spices described in recent studies, which places cinnamon as a good source of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits.