Background: Cinnamomum zeylanicum or Ceylon cinnamon is used for the management of dyspepsia, dysmenorrhea, memory loss and tremor. It is also traditionally recommended for the management of diabetes. Further studies are required to explore the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of various extracts of bark of C. zeylanicum. Hence, the present study is planned to investigate the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of methanolic extract of barks of C. zeylanicum. Methods: Bark of C. zeylanicum was extracted with methanol, ethanol and acetone and its antioxidant activity was studied using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) free radical scavenging assays. Acute toxic effect of methanolic extract of C. zeylanicum (MECZ) studied as per the method described in OECD Guideline for testing of chemicals (Test Guideline 423). MECZ was studied for its antidiabetic effect using streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Results: In both DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging assay, methanolic and acetone extracts exhibited free radical scavenging activity, respectively. In acute toxicity testing, MECZ did not show any significant toxic signs up to 2000 mg/kg, hence the antidiabetic activity of MECZ was carried out at the dose levels of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg. MECZ showed antidiabetic activity from 2 nd week of the experiment onward. In the biochemical analysis, MECZ treated animals showed significant decreases in the levels of ALP and urea when compared with control. In lipid profile analysis, diabetic animals and diabetic animals treated glibenclamide showed significant increases in the levels of total cholesterol when compared with normal control and MECZ prevented the STZ-induced hyperlipidemia. At the end of the study, diabetic animals and diabetic animals treated with glibenclamide and MECZ showed significant decreases in the level of insulin when compared with the control group. In the histopathological analysis, sections from the liver, pancreas and kidney of the diabetic animals showed mid-to-moderate toxic effects and glibenclamide and MECZ 500 mg/kg prevented the STZ-induced cellular changes. Conclusion: The MECZ exhibited significant antioxidant and antidiabetic activities.

Objective: To investigate the antimicrobial activities of various solvent extracts of the bark of Cinnamomum cassia and Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Methods: The powdered barks of C. cassia and C. zeylanicum were extracted using methanol, ethanol and acetone. The antimicrobial activity of methanolic, ethanolic and acetone extracts of barks of C. cassia and C. zeylanicum were studied using agar well diffusion method against seven ATCC bacterial species (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella bongori and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The antimicrobial activity of extracts of C. cassia and C. zeylanicum were compared with gentamycin. Results: The ethanolic and acetone extract of C. cassia and C. zeylanicum showed greater zones of inhibition than methanolic extract. C. zeylanicum inhibited the growth of all seven ATCC strains used in this study whereas, C. cassia inhibited the growth of S. pyogenes, S. aureus, B. cereus, E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa and S. bongori. Gentamycin inhibited the pathogenic group of all ATCC strains used in this study. Conclusion:The ethanolic and acetone extracts of bark of C. Cassia and C. zeylanicum exhibited a broad spectrum of exhibited a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity.

Prolapsed intervertebral discs are commonly associated with back ache and sciatica. Management is often conservative with analgesia and physiotherapy. Nerve root injections and discectomy procedures are used where conservative measures fail. Majority of patients present with symptoms of pain and motor weakness; however, a few can present as focal myositis of lower limb muscles in the distribution of radiculopathy. MRI scans of limbs are rarely done in these cases but if done can confound the radiologist. Our case report emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary approach for a L3 nerve radiculopathy with confounding clinical presentation of focal lower limb myositis of unknown etiology.