דו״ח מאומת

Cinnamon is one of the most popular spices used in cuisines worldwide. Among its different species, Ceylon cinnamon ("true cinnamon") is the one with the most health benefits due to its high concentration in the antioxidant eugenol and the ultra-low content of the hepatotoxic compound coumarin. However, the higher price of Ceylon cinnamon makes it vulnerable to fraudulent adulteration with more economic species of cinnamon, such as Cassia and Saigon. Thus, for the detection of frauds in cinnamon samples, a HPLC-UV method was developed for the determination of 4 characteristic cinnamon compounds: eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, coumarin and cinnamic acid. The obtained data were analyzed by PLS to attain not only the authentication of cinnamon species but also the detection and quantification of partial adulterations. Several mixtures prepared in the laboratory using different cinnamon powder samples considered 'pure' Ceylon, Cassia or Saigon were tested, concluding that the proposed approach allows a clear identification of Ceylon cinnamon and a suitable quantification of the Ceylon: non-Ceylon ratio regardless of the commercial sample selected (RMSE <0.06 for both training and test sets).…

PMID: 38266436

Despite considerable research the evidence around the antidiabetic properties of cinnamon remains equivocal, and this may be due to varietal differences which is an aspect that is understudied. This study systematically compared the anti-hyperglycaemic properties of the four major commercial cinnamon types used around the world (Chinese; Cinnamomum cassia [CC], Indonesian; C. burmanii [IC], Vietnamese; C. loureirii [VC], and Ceylon; C. zeylanicum [SC]). LC-MS analysis showed distinct diffrences in the phytochemical profiles of cinnamon with SC showing the lowest coumarin concentration. CC and IC had the highest polyphenol levels and antioxidant potential, and all four types differed significantly in their content (P < 0.001). All cinnamon types showed potent species-specific effects on starch digestion enzyme activity inhibition (P < 0.001), CC was most effective against α-amylase and all four strongly inhibited α-glucosidase compared to acarbose. Cinnamon significantly reduced starch breakdown during oral (P = 0.006) and gastric (P = 0.029) phases of gastro-intestinal digestion with IC and SC showing consistent effects. No effects of cinnamon were seen in the intestinal phase. IC, VC and SC showed the greatest potential to inhibit formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) during digestion. In conclusion, cinnamon demonstrates anti-hyperglycaemic properties, however effects are species-specific with best overall properties seen for Ceylon cinnamon.…

PMID: 31372918

Some plants that are processed into foods often contain natural substances that may be hazardous to human health. One example is coumarin, which is known to cause liver and kidney damage in rats, mice and probably humans. The main source of coumarin in the diet is cinnamon. The name 'cinnamon' is correctly used to refer to Ceylon cinnamon, also known as 'true cinnamon'. However, other plant species are sometimes sold with the label of cinnamon. This is the case of Cinnamomun aromaticum (cassia). In recent years, due to its cheaper price, cassia is replacing true cinnamon in the European food market being largely used in the preparation of some kinds of sweets. Several European health agencies have recently warned against consuming high amounts of cassia due to its high content of coumarin. In this study, 34 samples of cinnamon and 50 samples of cinnamon-containing foodstuffs were collected from the Italian market. Quantitative determinations of coumarin and cinnamaldehyde were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD). The analytical method was in-house validated assessing recovery, repeatability, linearity, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ). The results showed that about 51% of cinnamon samples consisted of cassia, 10% were probably a blend of cassia and Ceylon cinnamon, whereas only 39% were actually Ceylon cinnamon. As far as cinnamon-containing foods are concerned, the samples often exceeded the maximum level fixed in the European Flavourings Directive of 2 mg kg(-1).…

PMID: 19680836

Coumarin is a secondary phytochemical with hepatotoxic and carcinogenic properties. For the carcinogenic effect, a genotoxic mechanism was considered possible, but was discounted by the European Food Safety Authority in 2004 based on new evidence. This allowed the derivation of a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for the first time, and a value of 0.1 mg/kg body weight was arrived at based on animal hepatotoxicity data. However, clinical data on hepatotoxicity from patients treated with coumarin as medicinal drug is also available. This data revealed a subgroup of the human population being more susceptible for the hepatotoxic effect than the animal species investigated. The cause of the high susceptibility is currently unknown; possible mechanisms are discussed. Using the human data, a TDI of 0.1 mg/kg body weight was derived, confirming that of the European Food Safety Authority. Nutritional exposure may be considerably, and is mainly due to use of cassia cinnamon, which is a popular spice especially, used for cookies and sweet dishes. To estimate exposure to coumarin during the Christmas season in Germany, a telephone survey was performed with more than 1000 randomly selected persons. Heavy consumers of cassia cinnamon may reach a daily coumarin intake corresponding to the TDI.…

PMID: 20024932

Despite considerable research the evidence around the antidiabetic properties of cinnamon remains equivocal, and this may be due to varietal differences which is an aspect that is understudied. This study systematically compared the anti-hyperglycaemic properties of the four major commercial cinnamon types used around the world (Chinese; Cinnamomum cassia [CC], Indonesian; C. burmanii [IC], Vietnamese; C. loureirii [VC], and Ceylon; C. zeylanicum [SC]). LC-MS analysis showed distinct diffrences in the phytochemical profiles of cinnamon with SC showing the lowest coumarin concentration. CC and IC had the highest polyphenol levels and antioxidant potential, and all four types differed significantly in their content (P < 0.001). All cinnamon types showed potent species-specific effects on starch digestion enzyme activity inhibition (P < 0.001), CC was most effective against α-amylase and all four strongly inhibited α-glucosidase compared to acarbose. Cinnamon significantly reduced starch breakdown during oral (P = 0.006) and gastric (P = 0.029) phases of gastro-intestinal digestion with IC and SC showing consistent effects. No effects of cinnamon were seen in the intestinal phase. IC, VC and SC showed the greatest potential to inhibit formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) during digestion. In conclusion, cinnamon demonstrates anti-hyperglycaemic properties, however effects are species-specific with best overall properties seen for Ceylon cinnamon.…

PMID: 31372918

Cinnamon is one of the most popular spices used in cuisines worldwide. Among its different species, Ceylon cinnamon ("true cinnamon") is the one with the most health benefits due to its high concentration in the antioxidant eugenol and the ultra-low content of the hepatotoxic compound coumarin. However, the higher price of Ceylon cinnamon makes it vulnerable to fraudulent adulteration with more economic species of cinnamon, such as Cassia and Saigon. Thus, for the detection of frauds in cinnamon samples, a HPLC-UV method was developed for the determination of 4 characteristic cinnamon compounds: eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, coumarin and cinnamic acid. The obtained data were analyzed by PLS to attain not only the authentication of cinnamon species but also the detection and quantification of partial adulterations. Several mixtures prepared in the laboratory using different cinnamon powder samples considered 'pure' Ceylon, Cassia or Saigon were tested, concluding that the proposed approach allows a clear identification of Ceylon cinnamon and a suitable quantification of the Ceylon: non-Ceylon ratio regardless of the commercial sample selected (RMSE <0.06 for both training and test sets).…

PMID: 38266436