Chapter 23 - Cinnamic acid as a dietary antioxidant in diabetes treatment

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the serious chronic diseases worldwide and evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of DM. Because of the side effects and higher cost of current medicine in DM therapy, patients with diabetes are increasingly eager to use herbal medicine. Cinnamic acid (3-phenyl propenoic acid, CA) is a major compound of cinnamon oil, and is found in many fruit and vegetables such as cereals, wheat, barley, citrus fruits, bananas, coffee, orange juice, cabbage, spinach, and broccoli. It has been suggested to have antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antidiabetic properties. Promising data from epidemiological as well as in vitro and animal studies have claimed that consumption of CA may be useful in the treatment and prevention of DM. But its low bioavailability has restricted its usage. This chapter aims to provide general information about CA and its beneficial health effects on DM.