Cinnamomi cassiae cortex

Cinnamomi cassiae cortex, also known as Chinese cinnamon bark, is the officinal Chinese cinnamon bark, the unpeeled and dried bark (in contrast to Ceylon cinnamon, it also contains the outer coumarin-containing cork parts of the Chinese cinnamon tree).

Quality defined in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.):

HMPC monograph: Traditional-use: mild cramp-like gastrointestinal complaints, flatulence and bloating, mild diarrhea.
ESCOP monograph: Dyspeptic complaints, mild cramp-like gastrointestinal complaints, bloating, flatulence, loss of appetite; diarrhea.
Commission e-monograph: Loss of appetite; dyspeptic complaints. mild cramp-like gastrointestinal complaints, bloating and flatulence.

Initial studies suggest an antimicrobial effect of cinnamaldehyde against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a reduction in biofilm formation.

A blood sugar-lowering effect of cinnamon bark powder or aqueous extracts of cinnamon bark is also being discussed. While this antidiabetic effect has been demonstrated in animal experiments, a corresponding antidiabetic effect has not been sufficiently proven in human medicine.

Active ingredients: Essential oil (at least 1.0-4.0%) with the main components cinnamaldehyde (42%-68%), eugenol (4.0-10.0%), diterpenes, phenolcarboxylic acids, lignans and tannins , etc. Cinnamon essential oil, Cimmamomi cassiae aetheroleum, also known as cassia oil, is an essential oil obtained by steam distillation from leaves and young twigs. In contrast to Ceylon cinnamon oil, Chinese cinnamon oil contains 1.5-4.0% coumarin.

Note: Coumarin is found in the outer parts of the cinnamon bark, which is not processed in Ceylon cinnamon bark.

Stimulation of the gastric juice and saliva production.

Crushed drug as tea preparations, fluid extracts and tinctures for oral use. Indications according to the monographs of ESCOP, WHO are: loss of appetite, dyspeptic complaints.

Daily dose (TD) 2.0-4.0 g of the drug, 0.05-0.2 g essential oil in appropriate preparations.

Type IV allergies mainly caused by cinnamic aldehyde.

Hypersensitivity to ingredients of the drug. Allergies to Peru balsam.

Children and adolescents under 18 years, pregnancy and lactation in the absence of data on safety.

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3. Nabavi SF et al. (2015) Antibacterial Effects of Cinnamon: From Farm to Food, Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industries. Nutrients 7:7729-7748.
4. Ranasinghe P et al. (2016) Health benefits of Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): a summary of the current evidence. Ceylon Med J 61:1-5.
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6. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/cinnamon.php.
7. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/draft-community-herbal-monograph-cinnamomum-verum-j-s-presl-cinnamomum-zeylanicum-nees-cortex_en.pdf
8. Topa SH et al (2017) Cinnamaldehyde disrupts biofilm formation and swarming motility of pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiology 164: 1087-109