Study of cinnamon and cassia

1. S.Sakthi Priyadarsini,
Assistant Professor,
SRM College of Pharmacy

2. Ceylon cinnamon Chinese cinnamon

3. Synonyms
 Cortex cinnamoni,
 Ceylon cinnamon,
 Chinese cassia,
 Cinnamomum aromaticum,
 Cinnamomum laurus.
Biological Source
 Cinnamon is the dried inner bark
of the coppiced shoots of
Cinnamomum zeylanicum Nees.,
belonging to family Lauraceae.
Geographical Source
Cinnamomum zeylanicum is widely
cultivated in Ceylon, Java, Sumatra,
West Indies, Brazil, Mauritius,
Jamaica, and India.
Synonyms
 Chinese cinnamon,
 Cassia lignea,
 Cassia aromaticum,
 Canton cassia.
Biological Source
 Cassia is the dried stem bark of
Cinnamomum cassia Blume.,
belonging to family Lauraceae.
Geographical Source
Indigenous to China, Cochin and
Assam. It is also cultivated in
Ceylon, Japan, Sumatra, Java,
Mexico and America.

4. Cinnamon Cassia
 Single- or double-compound
quills,
 1 m length, 0.5 mm thickness, and
6 to 10 mm diameter.
 The outer surface has yellowish
brown colour having longitudinal
lines of pericyclic fibre and scars
and holes
 The inner surface is darker than
the outer.
 Odour - fragrant perfume
 Taste - aromatic and sweet.
 Channelled pieces or as single
quills
 6 to 40 cm long, 1 to 2 cm in
width, and 1 to 3 mm in
thickness.
 The outer surface is dark reddish-
brown, smooth with rather rough
patches of grey cork.
 The inner, surface has fine
striations. The fractures are short.
 The flavour is more pungent, less
sweet, and delicate and slightly
bitter than that of cinnamon

5. Aim:
To differentiate and identify the two crude drugs Cinnamon
and Cassia by microscopical and chemical characteristics
Materials required:
Compound microscope, Microscopic slide, cover-slip,
dissection needle, zero number paint brush, watch glass,
a sharp razor blade, a beaker full of water, filter paper
Chemicals required:
Concentrated Hydrochloric acid, Phloroglucinol,
Glycerin

6.  Transverse and Longitudinal sections
 Steps involved
Section cutting
Staining
Mounting

7.  Three to four layers of horse shoe
shaped sclereids with starch
grains
 The pericyclic fibres present on
the outer margin.
 Completely collapsed sieve tubes
arranged tangentially;
 lignified phloem fibres, arranged
as tangential rows of four to five
cells;
 biseriate medullary rays with
needle-shaped calcium oxalate
crystals;
 longitudinally elongated idioblast
consisting of volatile oil;

8.  Outer Periderm and cork present
 Cortex consists of 10 to 15 layers
of parenchyma with sclereids
 Characteristic of lignified and
pitted sclereids
 The secondary phloem consist of
phloem parenchyma which is
thin-walled, containing abundant
starch;
 Isolated or group of phloem fibres
embedded in phloem parenchyma
 Medullary rays consisting of the
starch and acicular raphides.

9. T.S of Cinnamon T.S of Cassia

10. Cinnamon Cassia
 10% of volatile oil, tannin,
mucilage, calcium oxalate and
sugar.
Volatile oil contains
 50 to 65% cinnamic aldehyde,
 5 to 10% eugenol,
 terpene hydrocarbons and
 small quantities of ketones and
alcohols.
 1 to 2% of volatile oil.
 80 % cinnamyl acetate,
 cinnamic acid,
 caryophyllene,
 phenylpropyl acetate,
 orthocumaric aldehyde,
 coumarin, tannic acid, and starch.
Eugenol is absent.
 The value of the drug depends on
the percentage of cinnamic
aldehyde present in it.

11. Cinnamon Cassia
 A drop of volatile oil is dissolved
in 5 ml of alcohol and to it a drop
of ferric chloride is added, A pale
green colour is produced.
 The alcoholic extract is treated
with phenyl hydrazine
hydrochloride, it produces red
colour due to the formation of
phenylhydrazone of cinnamic
aldehyde.
Note: Cinnamic aldehyde gives
brown colour with ferric
chloride, whereas eugenol gives
blue colour.
 With ferric chloride gives brown
due to the presence of cinnamic
aldehde and absence of eugenol.
 Cassia gives a deep blue black
colour with tincture of iodine
 Cassia oil contains coumarin
which gives strong green blue
fluorescence on addition of alkali.

12. Cinnamon Cassia
 alterative,
 aromatic,
 carminative,
 flavouring agent,
 analgesic,
 antiseptic,
 antirheumatic,
 antispasmodic,
 demulcent,
 digestive, expectorant, stomachic,
diaphoretic, antibacterial,
antifungal,
 carminative,
 mildly astringent,
 stomachic,
 decreasing the milk secretion
 emmenagogue.
 Uterine haemorrhage,
 menorrhagia,
 diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting.
 germicide,
 local stimulant
 gastric debility.

13. Cinnamon Cassia
 Cinnamon cassia
 Cinnamomum culiawan
 Cinnamomum iners,
 Cassia burmarin,
 Saigon cinnamon,
 Cinnamomum nitidum
 Cassia burmanii Blume or
the Java or Batavia
cinnamon
 C. inners,
 C. lignea,
 C. sintok, C. obtusifolium,
C. culilawan, C. loureirii,
C. pauciflorum, C. inserta,
C. nitidum

14. Cinnamon Cassia
◦ Rumalaya gel,
◦ Koflet lozenges,
◦ Chyavanprash (Himalaya
Drug Company),
◦ Garbhapal ras,
◦ Sutsekhar ras (Dabur), and
◦ Sage Staminex capsules (Sage
Herbals).
 Diakof,
 Koflex,
 Abana (Himalaya Drug
Company),
 Shukra Matrika Bati
(Baidyanath), and
 Madhudoshantak (Jamuna
Pharma).