Cinnamomum zeylanicum: Morphology, Antioxidant Properties and Bioactive Compounds

Cinnamomum zeylanicum is one of the oldest spices used for culinary purposes in Asian countries. Its extracts have demonstrated a positive impact on controlling the progression of disease pathologies due to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-mutagenic, anti-tyrosinase and antidiabetic characteristics. C. zeylanicum also has its unique variations which makes it necessary to distinguish it from other species of cinnamon. Phenolic compounds such as cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, carvacrol, cinnamic acetate and thymol are the main compounds that can be found in essential oils of C. zeylanicum. However, cinnamaldehyde and eugenol act as the main bioactive antioxidant compounds found in C. zeylanicum because of their active functional groups in the structures. There are many examples of the use of C. zeylanicum extracts for medicinal purposes, specifically cinnamon metabolite proanthocyanidins which suppress inflammatory compounds and help pathways such as insulin signaling. Moreover, the bioactive compounds in essential oils of this plant are used against many pathogenic (including food-borne) and spoilage bacteria.