Antioxidant Effects of Cinnamomum cassia Bark Extract and its Effectiveness as a Cosmetics Ingredient

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines potential abilities and commercial values of Cinnamon extract as bioactive and cosmetics ingredients. Methods: Cinnamomum cassia bark was extracted with hot water and 70% ethanol to examine its antioxidant effects through its total polyphenol, flavonoid content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, and (2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) ABTS radical scavenging activity. Also, this study examined its nitric oxide (NO) inhibition effect through RAW 264.7 cells into which inflammatory reaction was induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and antihistamine activity in the RBL- 2H3 cells. The antibacterial effects of Cinnamomum cassia bark extract on 8 types of bacteria were also studied. Results: As a result of measuring the antioxidant effect, the total polyphenol contents were 90.12 and 113.07 μg/mL, respectively, while the total flavonoid contents were 36.42 and 54.31 μg/mL, respectively. The DPPH scavenging effect was confirmed as 84.93% in the hot water extract and 90.25% in the ethanol extract for 400 μg/mL. The ABTS radical scavenging effect was 82.20% in the hot water extract and 92.21% in the ethanol extract for 400 μg/ mL. Upon measuring the NO inhibitive effect through the RAW 264.7 cells into which inflammation reaction was induced by LPS, the NO generation decreased to 14.57 μM in the hot water extract and 10.15 μM in the ethanol extract in the concentration of 100 μg/mL. This result, compared to the increase up to 20.11 μM by LPS, shows the NO inhibitive effect of Cinnamoum cassia bark extract. As a result of measuring the antihistamine activity in the RBL-2H3 cells, β-hexosaminidase increased to 176.21% by IgE-NDP whereas it was 117.25% in the hot water extract and 100.09% in the ethanol extract in the concentration of 100 μg/mL, confirming the inhibitive effect on β-hexosaminidase discharge. The antibacterial effect was confirmed on all bacteria through the measurement on the Cinnamomum cassia Bark extract on eight types of bacteria. Particularly, the antibacterial effect of the hot water extract and ethanol extract was found to be high in Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis ), Pityrosporum ovale (P. ovale ). Conclusion: Cinnamomum cassia bark extract is deemed prospective as a natural functional cosmetics’ ingredient with excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine inhibitive and antibacterial effects.