Cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon

Cinnamon bark is one of the most important and widely used species worldwide in cooking as well as for traditional medicinal purposes. Cinnamon is often used as an antidote for diarrhea and stomach upset as well as a metabolism booster.

Cinnamaldehyde is the main compound of the volatile oils which contribute to the aromatic smell of cinnamon.

The molecular formula of Cinnamaldehyde is C9H8O and it has a molecular weight of 132.16 g/mol. It is an oily fluid of yellow color and can result in skin irritation when exposed at high concentration.

Cinnamaldehydes are organic aromatic compounds containing a cinnamlaldehyde moiety, consisting of a benzene and an aldehyde group to form 3-phenylprop-2-enal. Cinnamaldehyde is practically insoluble (in water) and an extremely weak basic (essentially neutral) compound.

Besides its antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor bioactivity, cinnamaldehyde was reported to aid as neuroprotection due to its potential in inhibiting tau protein aggregation, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Cinnamaldehyde is a sweet, candy, and cinnamon tasting compound.

The percentage of cinnamaldehyde in essential oil from steam distillation was about 90% and 62-73% from Soxhlet extraction.
Cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon