Quantification of Flavoring Constituents in Cinnamon: High Variation of Coumarin in Cassia Bark from the German Retail Market and in Authentic Samples from Indonesia

Abstract

Coumarin is a flavoring which can cause hepatotoxicity in experimental animals and in a proportion of the human population. The tolerable daily intake (TDI) may be exceeded in consumers with high intake of cinnamon containing high levels of coumarin. The objective of this study was to determine these levels in cinnamon samples and to identify possible factors influencing them. A HPLC method to quantify coumarin and related constituents (cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, eugenol) in a single run was used. Results found in 47 cinnamon powder samples obtained from the German retail market confirmed high levels of coumarin in cassia cinnamon. A huge variation was observed in stick samples from two packages (range from below the limit of detection to about 10000 mg/kg). Cassia bark samples of five trees received directly from Indonesia were analyzed additionally. Interestingly, a high variation was observed in one of the trees, whereas no coumarin was detected in the samples of two other trees. In conclusion, coumarin levels in cassia cinnamon can vary widely even within a single tree.

Extension of Drosophila lifespan by cinnamon through a sex-specific dependence on the insulin receptor substrate chico

“…2). Since cinnamaldehyde and coumarin concentrations were selected based on the highest levels of what is detected in commercial preparations (Woehrlin et al 2010), the lack of a beneficial effect is unlikely to be explained by an insufficient amount, and may explain the slight toxicity of cinnamaldehyde in female flies (Fig. 2D).…”

“…No cinnamic alcohol was detected. Cinnamaldehyde and coumarin concentrations were selected based on the highest levels of what is detected in commercial preparations (Woehrlin et al 2010). …”

Influence of herbal combinations on the extraction efficiencies of chemical compounds from Cinnamomum cassia , Paeonia lactiflora , and Glycyrrhiza uralensis , the herbal components of Gyeji-tang, evaluated by HPLC method

“…Columns packed with C 18 -coated silica are usually used to separate marker compounds, for example, it was used to quantify chemical compounds in C. cassia, P. lactiflora, and G. uralensis by HPLC [13,16,17].…”

“…Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (St Louis, MO, USA). Gallic acid (1), isoliquiritin (7), ononin (8), and glycyrrhizin (16) were purchased from ChemFace (Wuhan, Hubei, China). Albiflorin (2), benzoic acid (6), coumarin (9), and cinnamyl alcohol (11) were from Wako Pure Chemical Industries Ltd. (Osaka, Japan).…”

Subcritical water extraction of flavoring and phenolic compounds from cinnamon bark (<i>Cinnamomum zeylanicum</i>)

“…The major fl avoring components of this bark often reported include cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, coumarin and eugenol 1 , while, in another study, cinnamaldehyde, benzaldehyde and cinnamyl acetate were found as the major compounds in the bark essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation 2 . Besides its use as a food fl avoring ingredient, cinnamon bark also exhibits antioxidative 3,4 , antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties 2 .…”