Cinnamon tree is a plants from the genus of about 250 species, belonging to the laurel family (this family includes also the noble laurel from which come well known laurel leaves). They are evergreen shrubs and trees, often with a pleasant aroma, growing mainly in East and Southeast Asia.
Of all the species of cinnamon trees, the most valued are those that provide camphor essential oil, camphor cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J. Presl). Although native to Asia, it is now also grown in South America. and in the Antilles.
It is a tree that grows up to about 12 meters tall, with a gray-brown inside reddish, bark. It is the bark of Ceylon cinnamon, collected from young shoots and then dried, which is a valued kitchen spice. It is also a valuable pharmaceutical raw material. You can write a lot about kitchen applications, but suffice it to say that it is difficult to imagine an apple pie without cinnamon. Cinnamon is also an important ingredient in many tinctures and liqueurs. One can mention here, for example, krupnik, a traditional Polish honey and spice liqueur.
Ingredients
Ceylon cinnamon bark (Cortex cinnamoni ceylanici) contains sweet oil in the amount of 0.5 – 8.0%, about 2% tannins, mucus compounds and starch. The main component of the oil is cinnamic aldehyde in the amount of about 65% and smaller amounts of other aldehydes, alcohols and esters. It is mainly cinnamic aldehyde that gives this raw material this characteristic, wonderful aroma.
Cinnamon bark also has a variety of pharmaceutical applications.
In pharmacy, cinnamon bark is mainly used as corrigens (i.e. a substance that corrects or improves) the smell and taste. For this purpose, it can be added to, for example, syrups or chewable tablets. In addition, Ceylon cinnamon bark acts as a digestive (digestive aid) or carminative (carminative). There are no medicinal products on the market that contain Ceylon cinnamon bark or cinnamon oil as the only ingredient, however, these raw materials are included in many combination drugs.
Source of picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_verum
AUTHOR: Dr n. farm Andrzej Tarasiuk