Cinnamomum species: Spices of immense medicinal and pharmacological values

Abstract

Cinnamon has been in use by humans for thousands of years, as early as 2,000 B.C. The Arabs transported cinnamon via cumbersome land routes, resulting in a limited, expensive supply that made the use of cinnamon a status symbol in Europe in the Middle Ages. Cinnamomum belonging to the family Lauraceae is a large genus comprising more than 200 species that grow in Asia, Australia and Pacific Islands. The species that are commercially important are Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume (syn. C. verum JS Presl.), C. cassia Blume, C. tamala Nees and C. camphora Seib. Various related species are also cultivated as a source of cinnamon spice, including Chinese cassia (Cinnamomum cassia), Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon (C. loureiroi), Indonesian cinnamon (C. burmannii) and Malabar cinnamon (C. citriodorum). Out of these, C. zeylanicum is the most used commercial species all over the world and largely cultivated in Sri Lanka and India. The cinnamon crop grows well at an altitude of 300–350 m to 1000 m above sea level and requires average temperature of 27°C and annual rainfall of 1500–2500 mm. Proximity to sea, humid conditions and salt water are favourable condition for the crop. The essential oil from cinnamon contains phenyl propanoids, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids and oxygenated sesquiterpenoids. Cinnamon has several effective medicinal and pharmacological properties controlling human ailments like diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, arthritis, heart disease, indigestion, teeth decay etc. An updated account of geographical distribution, cultivation practices, harvesting, active constituents, biological and medicinal properties and value added products of cinnamomum species are discussed herein.