Anthelmintic activity of trans-cinnamaldehyde and A- and B-type proanthocyanidins derived from cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum).

Andrew R Williams,Tina V A Hansen,Honorata M Ropiak,Helena Mejer,Aina Ramsay,Peter Nejsum,Stig M Thamsborg,Irene Mueller-Harvey

doi:10.1038/srep14791

Andrew R Williams, Tina V A Hansen + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1038/srep14791

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Abstract

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, but effects on parasitic worms of the intestine have not been investigated. Here, extracts of cinnamon bark were shown to have potent in vitro anthelmintic properties against the swine nematode Ascaris suum. Analysis of the extract revealed high concentrations of proanthocyanidins (PAC) and trans-cinnamaldehyde (CA). The PAC were subjected to thiolysis and HPLC-MS analysis which demonstrated that they were exclusively procyanidins, had a mean degree of polymerization of 5.2 and 21% of their inter-flavan-3-ol links were A-type linkages. Purification of the PAC revealed that whilst they had activity against A. suum, most of the potency of the extract derived from CA. Trichuris suis and Oesophagostomum dentatum larvae were similarly susceptible to CA. To test whether CA could reduce A. suum infection in pigs in vivo, CA was administered daily in the diet or as a targeted, encapsulated dose. However, infection was not significantly reduced. It is proposed that the rapid absorption or metabolism of CA in vivo may prevent it from being present in sufficient concentrations in situ to exert efficacy. Therefore, further work should focus on whether formulation of CA can enhance its activity against internal parasites.

Highlights

In plants allows the possibility of targeted compound identification for drug discovery, as well as the use of plants as nutraceuticals
To test whether cinnamon bark contained compounds with anthelmintic activity, we prepared an extract using a procedure that we have previously shown to be effective in extracting polyphenolic compounds from a wide variety of plant sources[22]
We found that the C. verum extract contained PAC with a mixture of A- and B-type linkages, consistent with a previous report on the composition of PAC in C. zeylanicum bark[17], these authors noted the presence of prodelphinidins, which were not observed in our current study, where PAC were comprised exclusively of procyanidins

Summary

Introduction

In plants allows the possibility of targeted compound identification for drug discovery, as well as the use of plants as nutraceuticals In this way, either whole plant material or extracts are included in the diet, representing an alternative or complementary approach to parasite control, in livestock[12]. The bark of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) has been used for millennia as a traditional remedy in herbal medicine[14] It contains high amounts of the essential oil trans-cinnamaldehyde (CA), as well as being a good source of proanthocyanidins (PAC), a group of plant polyphenols consisting of flavan-3-ol oligomers and polymers[15]. The aim of this work was to investigate the anthelmintic properties of cinnamon bark and characterise its active compounds, in order to determine if this may represent a useful natural resource for control of gastrointestinal nematodes

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