Cinnamon Powder Research Articles

Chitosan–cinnamon beads enhance suppressive activity against Rhizoctonia solani and Meloidogyne incognita in vitro

A novel chitosan–cinnamon bead carrier was prepared in this study. Chitosan was mixed with cinnamon powder (CP) and cinnamon extract (CE) to obtain chitosan–cinnamon powder (CCP) beads and chitosan–cinnamon extracted (CCE) beads, respectively. The potential antifungal and nematicidal activities of CCP and CCE were investigated against Rhizoctonia solani and Meloidogyne incognita in vitro. Relative antifungal activity of the CCP (5% CP) bead-treated R. solani was 30.9 and 23.9% after 1 and 2 day incubations, respectively. Relative antifungal activity of the CCE (0.5% CE) bead-treated R. solani was 4.3, 3.0 and 4.2% after 1, 2 and 3 days of incubation. Inhibition of hatch by CCP beads with CP of 5% was 78.8%. Inhibition of hatch by CCE beads with CE of 0.5% was 82.0%. J2 mortality following the CCP (5% CP) and CCE (0.5% CE) bead treatments was 85.0 and 95.8%, respectively against M. incognita after 48 h incubations.

Effect of cinnamon powder addition during conching on the flavor of dark chocolate mass.

In the present study, refined dark chocolate mix was conched with the addition of finely powdered cinnamon in a laboratory-style conching machine to evaluate its aroma profile both analytically and sensorially. The analytical determinations were carried out by a combination of solid phase micro extraction (SPME)-gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectroscopy (MS) and-olfactometry(O), while the sensory evaluation was made with trained panelists. The optimum conditions for the SPME were found to be CAR/PDMS as the fiber, 60°C as the temperature, and 60min as the time. SPME analyses were carried out at 60°C for 60min with toluene as an internal standard. 26 compounds were monitored before and after conching. The unconched sample had a significantly higher fruity odor value than the conched sample. This new product was highly acceptable according to the overall inclination test. However some of textural properties, such as coarseness, and hardness were below the general preference.

Quality Evaluation Of Bread Incorporated With Different Levels Cinnamon Powder

Cinnamon powder was substituted (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4%) in wheat flour for bread making. Baking, sensory and storage quality of bread were analyzed and compared with white bread. Cinnamon powder was found to have high total phenol content (TPC) and antioxidant activity. The highest TPC (0.94 mg GAE/DW) and antioxidant activity (27.67%) were observed in the bread containing highest level of cinnamon powder (4%). But loaf volume and sensory scores were less at this level of incorporation. Results suggested that among the studied samples, bread with 2% of cinnamon powder showed improved baking and textural properties with maximum overall acceptability by panelist and had a shelf life of 6 days at room temperature (30±5 0 C).

The effect of cinnamon on glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Pontianak, Indonesia

The objective of this study was to examine pre- and post-glucose serum concentration levels in diabetes mellitus patients after the administration of cinnamon powder. A quasi-experimentaldesign was done with 40 patients, with pre- and post-test non-equivalent control groups, without randomization. The first group was given a cinnamon powder extract solution to be taken 3 times per day and designated as the experimental group. The dose amounted to 3 g of cinnamon spread over the day, after breakfast, lunch, and dinner, respectively. The subjects were instructed to take the 3 g of cinnamon immediately following their meals. The patients with type 2 diabetes in theintervention group were aged 54.4 ± 8.7 years, and in the control group were aged 56.2 ± 10.5 years. There was a significant difference between the pre- and post-serum glucose concentrationtests between the two groups. The measurements for the intervention group were 311.4 ± 96 and 185.8 ± 21, respectively (p = 0.000), while the control group pre-test was 277.1 ± 74, and the post-test was 205.3 ± 45 (p = 0.003). The results of this study demonstrated that intake of cinnamon reduces serum glucose in type 2 diabetes. Key words: Cinnamon, diabetes mellitus, blood glucose.

Lung Injury and the Cinnamon Challenge: College Students Should Beware This Internet Dare

A recent article in Pediatrics warns against inhaling cinnamon powder and cites experiments that demonstrated chronic inflammation and fibrotic changes to the pulmonary tissue of rats forced to inhale cinnamon powder, and was written in response to the growing popularity of the cinnamon challenge.1 The cinnamon challenge has existed for nearly a decade.2 This dare consists of consuming one tablespoon of cinnamon powder within one minute without drinking any fluids.3 The cinnamon challenge has become more popular among teenagers and young adults over the past four years.2 According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), the number of calls to poison control centers concerning teenagers ages 13 to 19 who had undertaken the cinnamon challenge increased from 51 in 2011 to 222 in 2012. 4 In 2013, from January 1 to July 31, 37 such exposures were reported to poison control centers. 4 Not all persons who intentionally abuse or misuse cinnamon powder will need medical attention. Of the 122 calls classified as “intentional misuse or abuse” during the first three months of 2012, 30 required medical attention. 5 However, episodes in which medical attention is warranted may be underreported. Cinnamon is a caustic powder composed of cellulose fibers, which neither dissolve nor biodegrade in the lungs.1 The powder quickly dries out the mouth, which makes swallowing the powder very difficult. Coughing and burning sensations in the mouth, nose, and throat ensue. More serious symptoms include vomiting, epistaxis, and chest tightness1 and even atelectasis.6 Furthermore, the AAPCC warns that teenager with asthma or other pre-existing respiratory problems are at greater risk for developing respiratory distress from the cinnamon challenge.5 General internists and family practitioners who provide on-campus outpatient services to college students might encounter students with respiratory problems secondary to participating in the cinnamon challenge. Peer pressure is an appreciable factor among both children and young adults concerning participation in the cinnamon challenge.1 College students might undertake the challenge as part of their initiation into a student-led organization. Persons with an allergy to cinnamon or a pre-existing respiratory condition are encouraged to disclose their condition to friends or acquaintances who participate in the cinnamon challenge so that they are less likely to be pressured into following suit. In conclusion, college students are a population at risk for respiratory complications secondary to cinnamon toxicity. Educational efforts that highlight the dangers of the cinnamon challenge should be implemented on college campuses in addition to middle school, junior high school, and high school campuses. This Internet dare is not a concern just for pediatricians, but also for general internists, family practitioners, and pulmonologists.

Effect of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) as a Lipid Lowering Agent on Hypercholesterolemic Rats

Background: Dyslipidemia is one of the important causes of cardiovascular disease related mortality and morbidity. Recently it has become a significant issue in public health problem of developing countries. The purpose of the study was to find a suitable solution for reducing blood lipid in dyslipidemic patients by conducting a research on the effect of cinnamon in hypercholesterolemic rats. Objective: To study the lipid lowering effect of Cinnamomum cassia on experimentally induced hypercholesterolemic rats. Materials and Methods: This study was done on 30 male Long Evans rats weighing about 200--210 gram. For convenience, the study was divided into two experiments --- Experiment I and Experiment II. In experiment I, 12 animals were divided into two groups. One was Group A (n = 6, control group) fed on laboratory diet and the other was Group B (n = 6) fed on laboratory diet and cinnamon for 35 days. In experiment II, the remaining 18 rats were fed fatty mixture diet containing 1% cholesterol and 0.25% cholic acid. The hypercholesterolemic rats were then divided into 3 groups, Group C, D, and E (n=6 in each group). Group D and Group E were additionally fed on cinnamon powder and tablet atorvastatin for 35 days respectively. Serum TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C were measured after 35 days. Results: Fatty mixture diet increased TG, TC and LDL-C significantly. Cinnamon treated fatty mixture diet group showed that Cinnamomum cassia decreased plasma TC, TG and LDL-C. Atorvastatin therapy decreased TC, TG and LDL-C levels significantly compared with the lowering effect of cinnamon. Conclusion: The results of this experimental study indicate that Cinnamomum cassia can act as a hypocholesterolemic agent and thereby can improve cardiovascular functions. Journal of Enam Medical College; Vol 3 No 2 July 2013; Page 94-98 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jemc.v3i2.16132

계피분말을 첨가한 스펀지케이크의 품질특성

The feasibility of incorporating cinnamon as a value-added food ingredient in bakery food products was investigated using sponge cakes as a model system. Cinnamon powder was incorporated into sponge cakes at 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4% weight amounts, based on the total weight of wheat flour. Cake qualities, such as pH, moisture content, specific volume, and baking loss, decreased significantly with increasing levels of cinnamon powder added (p<0.05). In terms of color, lightness and yellowness decreased, with increasing levels of cinnamon powder. Redness significantly increased for crumb, but decreased for crust (p<0.05) with increasing levels of cinnamon powder. Hardness also significantly increased (p<0.05), while total polyphenol content significantly increased, up to a 2% addition of cinnamon powder, and gradually increased afterwards. Finally, the consumer acceptance test has indicated that higher levels of cinnamon incorporation (2% or higher, w/w) have a considerable adverse effect on consumer preferences in all attributes. In contrast, sponges cakes with a minimal level of cinnamon powder (1%, w/w) are recommended for taking advantage of the functional properties of cinnamon powder without sacrificing consumer acceptability.

Effects of dietary synbiotic and cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) supplementation on growth performance and meat quality in Japanese quail

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with cinnamon powder, cinnamon oil, and synbiotic as growth promoter agents on growth performance and thigh meat quality in Japanese quail. A total of 420 one-d-old Japanese quail were randomly allocated to seven treatments with four cages per treatment and 15 quail chicks per cage. The dietary treatments consisted of the basal control without any added compounds, 200mg virginiamycin/kg, 100 or 200mg cinnamon oil, 1 or 2g cinnamon powder/kg, and 500mg synbiotic/kg. Birds were provided feed and water ad libitum. Body weight and feed intake of quails were determined at d 0, 21, and 35, and feed conversion ratio was calculated. On d 35, two birds from each cage were slaughtered and the thighs were collected for meat quality measurements. Supplementing 200mg cinnamon oil/kg and virginiamycin increased body weight gain of quails at d 21–35 (P=0.003). Feeding 200mg cinnamon oil/kg and virginiamycin improved feed conversion ratio compared to control group at d 21–35 and 0–35 (P<0.05). Feed intake was not affected by dietary treatments. In this experiment, 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances of Japanese quails fed 200mg cinnamon oil/kg was lower than the control, virginiamycin, and synbiotic treatments (P<0.001). Water holding capacity was increased in quail fed 200mg cinnamon oil/kg (P<0.05). Cooking loss, dripping loss, and pH of the meat were not affected by treatments. In conclusion, 200mg cinnamon oil/kg can be applied as an alternative to antibiotic for Japanese quail diets to maintain growth performance, and it can also improve meat quality.

Inhibitory Effect of Cinnamon Powder on Pathogen Growth in Laboratory Media and Oriental-Style Rice Cakes (Sulgidduk)

There has been an increasing interest in the use of natural plant materials as alternative food preservatives. We examined the antimicrobial effects of natural plant materials used as additives against foodborne pathogens in laboratory media and Sulgidduk, oriental-style rice cakes. Cinnamon, mugwort, and garlic powder solutions (3%) were tested for their antimicrobial activities against pathogens in laboratory media. Sulgidduk prepared with different amounts of cinnamon powder (1, 3, and 6%) was inoculated with a Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus cereus cocktail. The samples were air or vacuum packaged and stored at 22 ± 1°C for 72 h, and microbial growth was determined. Cinnamon powder showed more inhibitory properties against pathogens such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, S. aureus, and B. cereus than did mugwort or garlic powder. The populations of S. aureus and B. cereus in Sulgidduk containing cinnamon powder were significantly lower than in the control during storage time. Different packaging methods did not result in a significant difference in pathogen growth. In a sensory evaluation, Sulgidduk containing 1 and 3% cinnamon powder did not significantly differ from the control sample in any of the attributes tested other than flavor. These results indicate that natural plant materials such as cinnamon powder could be used as food additives to improve the microbiological stability of rice cakes.

Regular ingestion of cinnamomi cortex pulveratus offers gastroprotective activity in mice

The present study investigated the gastroprotective effects of a cinnamon diet using different gastric ulcer mouse models. Dose dependency and the effective dose period of administration of a cinnamon powder diet were established using the water immersion stress gastric ulcer model. A cinnamon powder diet significantly protected mice against ulceration by stress, ethanol, HCl and oral administration of aspirin, but not against ulceration by oral administration of indomethacin or subcutaneous administration of indomethacin or aspirin. Such a diet conferred protection against gastric ulcers at an effective concentration of 100 mg cinnamon powder per gram of food after administration for 4 weeks and the active compound of cinnamon powder for gastroprotective activity was identified as cinnamaldehyde. These findings indicate that regular ingestion of cinnamon powder offers gastroprotection presumably through a cytoprotective mechanism but the efficacy against NSAIDs-induced gastric ulcers may be limited.

Natural co-occurrence of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in spices

The present study aims to determine the co-occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in spices marketed in Turkey. During the period from November 2010 to August 2011, 105 samples of spices were checked for targeted mycotoxins. The mycotoxins were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) after immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up. The method was validated for selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy and repeatability as relative standard deviation (RSD). Good recoveries (80.7–95.7%) were obtained for mycotoxins in each food matrix, with RSD values lower than 15%.Aflatoxins were detected in 79.2% of red chilli flake, 63.6% of red chilli powder, 30.4% of black pepper powder and 21.1% of cumin samples, while none of the cinnamon powder samples contained AFs at detectable levels. Four red chilli flake and three red chilli powder samples were above the EU regulatory limit of 5μgkg−1 for AFB1. OTA was found in 75% of red chilli flake, 54.5% of red chilli powder, 17.4% of black pepper powder, with four red chilli flake and three red chilli powder samples exceeding EU limit of 30μgkg−1. No OTA was found in cinnamon powder samples, while detectable levels of OTA were found in only one cumin sample. The co-occurrence of AFB1 and OTA was detected in 62.5% of red chilli flake, 40.9% of red chilli powder and 4.3% of black pepper powder samples. This study reports for the first time the natural co-occurrence of AFs and OTA in spices from Turkey.

STUDY ON RELEASE MECHANISM OF INHIBITORY COMPONENTS FROM CINNAMON AND CLOVE POWDERS

ABSTRACTIn this study, cinnamon powder and clove powder were successfully prepared using a high‐frequency oscillatory‐type ball mill at 20 ± 1C. The release behavior of inhibitory components (ICs) from powders into anhydrous alcohol was investigated by UV spectrometer. Also the release kinetics was evaluated by fitting the experimental data to standard release equations (zero‐order, first‐order, Higuchi and Ritger–Peppas equation). The results revealed that the release rate of the ICs was much faster from the clove powder than that from the cinnamon powder, which was probably related to the source of plant material, powder particle size, the structure and morphology, the aggregations of ultrafine powders, volatilization, oxidization and total loaded content. Their release profiles were found to be biphasic with a burst release followed by a gradual release phase, and the best fit was found with Ritger–Peppas model for the cinnamon powder and Higuchi model for the clove powder. It proved that the two powders could extend the shelf life of chilled meat because of their release behaviors.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSCinnamon and clove were traditional food spices and were commonly used in the food industry because of their special aroma as well as their antibacterial and antifungal activities. On the other hand, controlled‐release systems using biodegradable polymers were widely used in numerous applications, especially food preservation. However, before carrying out this study, it was unknown whether ultrafine powders of ball‐milled cinnamon and clove can be directly used as controlled delivery systems for food preservation. In the present work, the release behaviors, kinetics and mechanism of ICs from powders were studied, and the antimicrobial activities of powders were determined. This study showed that ultrafine powders of ball‐milled cinnamon and clove would be a promising bacteriostasis and anticorrosion vehicle for food industry because of their controlled‐release behavior.

The effects of cinnamon powder feeding on some blood metabolites in broiler chicks

The effect of cinnamon powder (CNP) feeding on some blood metabolites in broiler chicks was studied in a 49-day experiment. The feeding program consisted of a starter diet until day 21, a grower diet until day 42 and a finisher diet until day 49. There were five treatments: a negative control diet, without the additive (control: T1); 250 mg/kg (T2); 500 mg/kg (T3); 1000 mg/kg (T4); and 2000 mg/kg (T5) of CNP in the diet. A total of 320 one-day-old mixed-sex broilers (Ross 308) were distributed into 16 pens with 20 chickens each, comprising 3 replicates per treatment (except for T1, which had 4 replicates). Serum glucose was measured weekly and reported periodically. At the end of the experiment serum cholesterol, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were determined. There were no significant differences among treatments regarding broiler performance and carcass characteristics, except for the finisher phase, when T2 resulted in a significant decrease in feed conversion ratio and weight gain (p<0.05). In the lowest level of cinnamon supplementation (T2), a significant increase in glucose level in starter, finisher and overall rearing period was observed, as well as an increase in triglyceride levels at the finisher phase as compared to T4 and T5 (p<0/05). However, cholesterol, AST and ALT levels were not statistically different among treatments. Therefore, it was concluded that the use of cinnamon powder can affect on some blood metabolites and broiler performance.

GRANULARITY AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF ULTRA-FINE CINNAMON AND CLOVE POWDERS

This article describes a novel and simple method that using ultra-fine powders of ball-milled cinnamon and clove directly to inhibit the growth of five spoilage organisms from meat. The effect of ball-milled time on powder granularity and the particle sizes on the antimicrobial effectiveness were evaluated. The results from the antibacterial tests demonstrated that the ultra-fine powders had strong antimicrobial activities, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the clove powder and the cinnamon powder were from 1.0 to 1.5% (w/v) against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Brochothrix thermosphacta and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and the same against Pseudomonas fluorescens were 2.0 and 2.5%, respectively. The inhibitory effect increased with increasing powder concentrations from 0.5 to 2.5% (w/v). However, obvious reversing characteristic appeared when the particle sizes decreased to 7.085 µm for cinnamon and 8.915 µm for clove. This study suggested that traditional spice powders with proper particle sizes taking the place of essential oils as effective antibacterials had a wide application prospect for their low cost and safety. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Ball mills have been successfully used for grinding raw materials to ultra-fine powders because of their easier operation, higher grinding rate, lower energy consumption and considerably less plant space. However, before carrying out this study, it was unknown whether ultra-fine powders of ball-milled cinnamon and clove can directly inhibit the growth of five spoilage organisms from meat. In the present work, the effect of ball-milled time on the powder granularity and the particle sizes on the antimicrobial effectiveness were studied. This study showed that both traditional spice powders with proper particle sizes taking the place of essential oils as effective antibacterials had strong antimicrobial activities.

Evaluation of cinnamon and garlic as antibiotic growth promoter substitutions on performance, immune responses, serum biochemical and haematological parameters in broiler chicks

This study was performed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with cinnamon and garlic powder as growth promoter agents on performance, carcase traits, immune responses, serum biochemistry, haematological parameters and thigh meat sensory evaluation in broilers. A total of 288, day-old male broilers (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to six treatments with four replicates. The dietary treatments consisted of the basal diet as control, antibiotic group receiving 3 mg/kg flavophospholipol, 2 and 4 g/kg cinnamon or garlic powder added to the basal diet. Body weights of broilers were measured at 1, 14, 28 and 42 days, feed intake was measured at the same periods and feed conversion was calculated, accordingly. At day 42 two birds per replicate were slaughtered for determination of carcase and organ weights and also meat sensory evaluation. Supplementing 2 g/kg cinnamon increased body weight of broilers at 28 and 42 days of age ( P < 0.05). FCR was calculated to be significantly lower in all treatments compared to the control birds at 28 day period. Feed intake, feed efficiency, internal organ weights and carcase characteristics were not significantly influenced by the dietary treatments at 42 day. None of the immune related parameters was statistically different among treatments. Broilers fed 4 g/kg garlic powder, had a significantly lower concentration of serum LDL cholesterol and elevated HDL cholesterol at day 42 ( P < 0.05). Serum SGPT enzyme was reduced markedly ( P < 0.05) in 4 g/kg cinnamon group but serum protein, albumin, triglyceride and SGOT were not affected by dietary treatments. Garlic powder significantly increased red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit percentage compared to the control group ( P < 0.05). Sensory evaluation of thigh meat displayed no abnormal odor or flavour in meat induced by feed additives. The results suggested that dietary inclusion of 2 g/kg cinnamon can be applied as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics for broiler diets.

Effect of cinnamon supplementation on blood glucose and lipid levels in type2 diabetic patients

This study was planned to investigate the effects of supplementation of cinnamon on fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profiles among type2 diabetic patients. 60 subjects with type 2 diabetes from both sexes (30 males and 30 females) were allocated to the intervention and control groups (30 individuals per group). The doses of 1.5 g of cinnamon were equally administered orally in the form of cinnamon powder into 500 mg per capsule with breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 60 days. Control group received capsules of containing placebo. Blood samples were obtained on the beginning day of the experiment and at the end of 60 days. The fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profiles including total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides of types 2 subjects were measured. Fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profiles in intervention group were significantly lower than control group (p<0.05). The average of fasting blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, cholesterol LDL and triglyceride levels were decreased after consumption of cinnamon powder, significantly(p<0.05). We observed no significant changes in fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profiles after consumption of placebo in control group. Conclusion: This study showed that consumption of cinnamon supplementation may be useful in control and decreasing of fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profiles among type 2 diabetes individuals.

Quantification of Flavoring Constituents in Cinnamon: High Variation of Coumarin in Cassia Bark from the German Retail Market and in Authentic Samples from Indonesia

Coumarin is a flavoring which can cause hepatotoxicity in experimental animals and in a proportion of the human population. The tolerable daily intake (TDI) may be exceeded in consumers with high intake of cinnamon containing high levels of coumarin. The objective of this study was to determine these levels in cinnamon samples and to identify possible factors influencing them. A HPLC method to quantify coumarin and related constituents (cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, eugenol) in a single run was used. Results found in 47 cinnamon powder samples obtained from the German retail market confirmed high levels of coumarin in cassia cinnamon. A huge variation was observed in stick samples from two packages (range from below the limit of detection to about 10000 mg/kg). Cassia bark samples of five trees received directly from Indonesia were analyzed additionally. Interestingly, a high variation was observed in one of the trees, whereas no coumarin was detected in the samples of two other trees. In conclusion, coumarin levels in cassia cinnamon can vary widely even within a single tree.

Effect of four powdered spices as repellents against adults of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), Sitophilus granarius (L.) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in laboratory conditions

Studies were conducted to test the repellency of four powdered spices, black pepper ( Piper nigrum .), chili pepper ( Capsicum annuum ), cinnamon ( Cinnamomum aromaticum ) and turmeric ( Curcuma longa ), against three stored-product insects, the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica , the granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius and the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum . The cup bioassay technique was used, to determine the response of insects to potential repellents by measuring their movement from treated grain. The device is made of galvanized screening with 2 mm perforations shaped into a cylinder of 6 cm diameter and 15 cm high, with a mesh bottom, and is placed in the centre portion of plastic container of 15 cm diameter and 15 cm high. The powdered spices were poured into 200 g of wheat mass by a long-stemmed funnel at concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.75, 1.5 and 2.5% on (w/w) basis. Twenty adults of three species are released into the centre of the grain mass in the container through a long-stemmed funnel. The experiments were conducted at room conditions. The number of trapped insects was determined at 3 different intervals after the introduction of the insects. Results showed that all tested plant powders had repellent activity against the three stored-product insects. Adults of S. granarius repelled faster, followed by T. castaneum and R. dominica . At the highest concentrations and intervals, wheat grains treated with cinnamon powder were the most repellent to adults of S. granarius (up to 92.5% after 1 h), followed by chili pepper treatment for T. castaneum (up to 72.5% after 6 h) and black pepper treatment for R. dominica (up to 58.75% after 24 h). Keywords : Repellency, Spices, Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus granarius, Tribolium castaneum

Natural antimicrobial ingredients incorporated in biodegradable films based on cassava starch

Biodegradable films based on cassava starch and with addition of natural antimicrobial ingredients were prepared using the casting technique. The tensile properties tensile strength (TS) [MPa] and percent elongation ( E) at break [%] and the water vapor transmission (WVT) of the biodegradable films were evaluated and compared with the control (without antimicrobial ingredients). The evaluation of the Colony Forming Units per gram [CFU/g] of pan bread slices packed with the best biodegradable films, in terms of packaging performance, was also determined. The addition onto the matrix of only clove and cinnamon powders could reduce the films WVT when compared to the control, however TS and E were lower than the control and the effect of cinnamon was milder regarding this property. Since water activity of the pan bread slices packed with the biodegradable films increased considerably during the storage period, the antimicrobial effect could not be clearly determined.

Anti-diabetic effect of cinnamon powder and cinnamon aqueous extract on serum glucose of rats

Anti-diabetic effect of cinnamon powder and cinnamon aqueous extract on serum glucose of rats