Differentiation of Four Cinnamomum Species using UPLC-QTOF MSE and MarkerLynx™ XS

Abstract

Cinnamon is one of the most popular flavors in the USA. Some cinnamon varieties could be potential sources of coumarin. Because of evidence of hepatotoxic effects of coumarin in animal models, the US Food and Drug Administration banned coumarin as a food flavoring agent in 1954. Cinnamon or “True Cinnamon” refers to the dried inner bark of Cinnamomum verum (syn. C zeylanicum) (Ceylon cinnamon). However, the bark of three other species C. aromaticum, C. loureiroi and C. burmannii, which are commonly known as cassia, are also sold under the label of cinnamon in Europe and USA. Cassia species contained substantial amounts of coumarin. Trade data and recent studies indicate that C. burmannii or Indonesian cassia has replaced the more expensive Ceylon cinnamon in Europe, USA and Canada. Previous studies showed that C. burmannii samples sold in US as Indonesian cinnamon had higher contents of coumarin which varied from 0.1%-0.9% [1–2].