Essential oil from Cinnamomum cassia Presl bark regulates macrophage polarization and ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury through TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cinnamomum cassia Presl, a traditional Chinese medicine recorded in "Shennong's Herbal Classic," has been historically used to treat respiratory diseases and is employed to address inflammation. The essential oil derived from Cinnamomum cassia bark is a primary anti-inflammatory agent. However, there remains ambiguity regarding the chemical composition of cinnamon bark essential oil (BCEO), its principal anti-inflammatory components, and their potential efficacy in typical inflammatory respiratory conditions, such as acute lung injury (ALI). PURPOSE: This study aimed to unveil the chemical composition of BCEO. In addition, the mechanism of action of BCEO in ameliorating ALI and regulating macrophage polarization through the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway was elucidated. METHODS: BCEO was extracted using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and characterized through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Acute oral toxicity was observed in C57BL/6 J mice. The pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms of BCEO were evaluated in a mouse model of ALI, which was induced by administering 5 mg/kg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through intratracheal instillation. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis revealed 99.08% of the constituents of BCEO. The primary components of BCEO were trans-cinnamaldehyde, o-methoxycinnamaldehyde, (+)-α-muurolene, δ-cadinene, and copaene. Oral acute toxicity tests indicated that the maximum tolerated dose of BCEO was 12 g/kg/day. BCEO treatment significantly reduced lung W/D ratio, total protein concentration in BALF, levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß in BALF, WBC count and NEU% in peripheral blood, and lung histological damage. Pulmonary function, IL-10 levels, and LYM% in peripheral blood also showed improvement. BCEO effectively decreased the proportion of M1 phenotype macrophages in BALF, M1/M2 ratio, and apoptotic cells in the lung tissue while increasing the proportion of M2 phenotype macrophages in BALF. Furthermore, BCEO treatment led to reduced protein and mRNA levels of TLR4, MyD88, and p-p65, alongside increased p65 expression, suggesting its potential to impede the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: SFE-extracted BCEO or its major constituents could serve as a viable treatment for ALI by reducing lung inflammation, improving pulmonary function, and protecting against LPS-induced ALI in mice. This therapeutic effect is achieved by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization, promoting M2 macrophage polarization, and suppressing the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

De novo transcriptome assembly and metabolomic analysis of three tissue types in Cinnamomum cassia.

Objective: The barks, leaves, and branches of Cinnamomum cassia have been historically used as a traditional Chinese medicine, spice, and food preservative, in which phenylpropanoids are responsible compounds. However phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways are not clear in C. cassia. We elucidated the pathways by descriptive analyses of differentially expressed genes related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis as well as to identify various phenylpropanoid metabolites. Methods: Chemical analysis, metabolome sequencing, and transcriptome sequencing were performed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the difference of active components content in the barks, branches and leaves of C. cassia. Results: Metabolomic analysis revealed that small amounts of flavonoids, coumarine, and cinnamaldehyde accumulated in both leaves and branches. Transcriptome analysis showed that genes associated with phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis were downregulated in the leaves and branches relative to the barks. The observed differences in essential oil content among the three tissues may be attributable to the differential expression of genes involved in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid metabolic pathways. Conclusion: This study identified the key genes in the phenylpropanoid pathway controling the flavonoid, coumarine, and cinnamaldehyde contents in the barks, branches and leaves by comparing the transcriptome and metabolome. These findings may be valuable in assessing phenylpropanoid and flavonoid metabolites and identifying specific candidate genes that are related to the synthesis of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids in C. cassia.

De novo transcriptome assembly and metabolomic analysis of three tissue types in Cinnamomum cassia / 中草药·英文版

OBJECTIVE@#The barks, leaves, and branches of Cinnamomum cassia have been historically used as a traditional Chinese medicine, spice, and food preservative, in which phenylpropanoids are responsible compounds. However phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways are not clear in C. cassia. We elucidated the pathways by descriptive analyses of differentially expressed genes related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis as well as to identify various phenylpropanoid metabolites.@*METHODS@#Chemical analysis, metabolome sequencing, and transcriptome sequencing were performed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the difference of active components content in the barks, branches and leaves of C. cassia.@*RESULTS@#Metabolomic analysis revealed that small amounts of flavonoids, coumarine, and cinnamaldehyde accumulated in both leaves and branches. Transcriptome analysis showed that genes associated with phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis were downregulated in the leaves and branches relative to the barks. The observed differences in essential oil content among the three tissues may be attributable to the differential expression of genes involved in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid metabolic pathways.@*CONCLUSION@#This study identified the key genes in the phenylpropanoid pathway controling the flavonoid, coumarine, and cinnamaldehyde contents in the barks, branches and leaves by comparing the transcriptome and metabolome. These findings may be valuable in assessing phenylpropanoid and flavonoid metabolites and identifying specific candidate genes that are related to the synthesis of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids in C. cassia.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed metabolite variations and regulatory networks in Cinnamomum cassia Presl from four growth years.

To understand the mechanism of the dynamic accumulation of active ingredients in Cinnamomum cassia Presl, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of 5~8 years old C. cassia were performed. A total of 72 phenylpropanoids, 146 flavonoids, and 130 terpenoids showed marked changes. Most phenylpropanoids and flavonoids showed markedly higher abundances in 6-year-old C. cassia than in others, which was related to the higher expression of genes that synthesize and regulate phenylpropanoids and flavonoid. We identified transcription factors (TFs) and genes involved in phenylpropanoids and flavonoids synthesis and regulation through co-expression network analyses. Furthermore, most of the terpenoids in 5-year-old C. cassia showed markedly higher abundances than in others, which was due to the differentially expressed genes upstream of the terpenoids pathway. The results of our study provide new insights into the synthesis and accumulation of phenylpropanoid, flavonoids and terpenoids in C. cassia at four growth stages.

Bioactivity-Oriented Purification of Polyphenols from Cinnamomum cassia Presl. with Anti-Proliferation Effects on Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Cinnamomum cassia Presl. (CCP) is a popular natural spice possessing various pharmacological properties. We obtained polyphenol-rich fraction (CCP-P) from CCP by bioactivity-oriented purification method and evaluated its Wnt signaling inhibition activity. Firstly, the phenolic components were identified as the main bioactive compounds with anti-colorectal cancer activity. Then, we compared the anti-colorectal cancer activity of CCP extract obtained from different solvent by cell morphology alteration and EdU assay. Ethanol extract showed higher antiproliferative activity compared to water extract on HCT116 cells, with proliferating cells reducing to 41.12 and 21.83% at 156.00 µg GAE/mL, respectively. Next, separation and enrichment of polyphenols from ethanol extract was performed on AB-8 macroporous resins under optimal conditions. Further evaluation of the CCP-P bioactivity revealed that it exerted more potent antiproliferative activity on RKO and HCT116 cells, showing higher selectivity for Wnt-dependent colorectal cancer cells (CRCs). Ten major polyphenols were identified in the CCP-P by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. In summary, this study presents evidence that CCP-derived polyphenols are promising potential candidates as functional food ingredients against CRC.

Four spices prevent mice from contracting Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

Ligustrum lucidum Ait (LL), Lysimachia christinae Hance (LC), Mentha piperita Linn (MP), and Cinnamomum cassia Presl (CC) are common spices used in Asia. The present study investigated the anti-Salmonella effects of the four spices using aqueous extracts. The amount of phenolic acids and flavonoids in each spice aqueous extract was determined as indicators of purity. Mice were pretreated with LL, LC, MP or CC aqueous extract for 7 days. Following infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strain ST21 (ST21), the aqueous extract of each spice was subsequently administered for 4 days. ST21 infected mice had lower body weight compared with the control group. The administration of spice aqueous extracts significantly increased body weight following infection. ST21 infection increased the fecal ST21 counts compared with the control group; however, following spice aqueous extract treatments, ST21 counts significantly decreased. The spice treatments also significantly reduced ST21 count in blood and the organs. Notably, ST21 infection increased interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-6 levels in serum whilst spice treatments reduced these cytokines. In the spleen, spice treatment significantly lowered IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels, but increased IL-12 levels. ST21 infection stimulated the production of immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgM in serum whilst spice aqueous extract treatment significantly decreased these levels. In summary, LL and MP aqueous extract treatments had the most significant effect in protecting against ST21 infection. Results of the RAW 264.7 cell infection model suggested that the mechanisms involved in the anti-ST21 effect of each spice were individually different. All four aqueous extracts demonstrated different mechanisms in attenuating ST21 invasion with the protective effect of LC aqueous extract potentially involving TNF-α expression. The present findings suggested that the four spices may be considered as potent functional foods due to their anti-Salmonella effects.

Cinnamomum cassia Presl: A Review of Its Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Cinnamomum cassia Presl is a tropical aromatic evergreen tree of the Lauraceae family, commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is also a traditional spice, widely used around the world. This paper summarizes the achievements of modern research on C. cassia, including the traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology. In addition, this review also discusses some significant issues and the potential direction of future C. cassia research. More than 160 chemicals have been separated and identified from C. cassia. The main constituents of C. cassia are terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, glycosides, etc. Modern studies have confirmed that C. cassia has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including antitumour, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, anti-diabetic and anti-obesity, antibacterial and antiviral, cardiovascular protective, cytoprotective, neuroprotective, immunoregulatory effects, anti-tyrosinase activity and other effects. However, the modern studies of C. cassia are still not complete and more in-depth investigations need to be conducted in alimentotherapy, health product, toxicity and side effects, and more bioactive components and potential pharmacological effects need to be explored in the future.

Determination of four essential oils in cinnamomum cassia by quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method of quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) for determining four essential oils (cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, 2-methoxy cinnamaldehyde) in Cinnamomum cassia, and provide the experimental base for establishing the quality standard of Cinnamomum cassia. METHODS: Cinnamaldehyde was used as the internal reference standard, and the relative correction factors (RCF) of cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, and 2-methoxy cinnamaldehyde in Cinnamomum cassia were calculated. The contents of the four components were determined by both external standard method and QAMS. The validity of the QAMS method was evaluated by comparison of the quantitative results of both methods. RESULTS: The RCFs had good reproducibility, relative correction factor 0.673, 0.605 and 1.943, with RSDs of 0.529%, 0.373%, and 0.759%, respectively. No significant differences were found in the quantitative analysis results of cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, 2-methoxy cinnamaldehyde by using RCF and ESM. CONCLUSION: In the absence of reference substance, the content determination of the four essential oils in Cinnamomum cassia can be realized by QAMS, and this method can be used in the multi-index evaluation of Cinnamomum cassia essential oil constituents. It is suggested that the standard for cinnamaldehyde content be increased to 2.5%, and the contents of total cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid and 2-methoxy cinnamaldehyde be not less than 0.2%.

Prediction of Cinnamomum cassia grade based on binary Logistic regression analysis / 中草药

Objective: In this study, a two-classification model based on the idea of “ingredient-efficacy” was established for the quality classification of Cinnamomum cassia with considerations to quality control components and biological activities. Methods: A method to determine quality control components was proposed by UPLC. The in vitro anti-oxidant activity of C. cassia was reflected by DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging experiment. The quality control index and anti-oxidant index were correlated by a Logistic algorithm. Finally, a binary logistic regression model for classification of C. cassia was established. Results: UPLC fingerprints of 20 samples of C. cassia were established, and their anti-oxidant activities were determined. Four quality control components (coumarin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, and cinnamaldehyde) were screened out by principal component analysis, and their methodological validation was carried out. According to the regression equation, 20 batches of C. cassia were divided into four grades: excellent, good, medium, and poor. Conclusion: The binary logistic regression model can describe the mapping relationship between the grade of C. cassia. It can better express the classification standard for the prepared C. cassia. This study provides a new idea for quality evaluation of C. cassia.

Tissue-specific chemical profiling and quantitative analysis of bioactive components of Cinnamomum cassia by combining laser-microdissection with UPLC-Q/TOF-MS.

BACKGROUND: Cinnamomi Cortex, the dried stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia Presl (Rougui in Chinese) has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, cooking and perfumery for thousands of years. Traditionally, the Cinnamomi Cortex of thick size is considered to be of good quality; however, there is no scientific data to support this point. Considering that essential oils are the main bioactive components, Cinnamomi Cortex of greater variety and amount essential oils is thought to be of better quality. In this study, laser microdissection coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS) was applied to profile the essential oils in different tissues of Cinnamomi Cortex and to determine if there is a correlation between the essential oil content and the stem bark thickness. RESULTS: We report the tissue-specific metabolic profiles of different grades of Cinnamomi Cortex. Nineteen chemical components were unequivocally or tentatively identified in the chromatogram of the test samples. The results indicate that the bioactive components, the essential oils, were mainly present in the phloem. CONCLUSION: Phloem thickness is the key character for evaluating the quality of Cinnamomi Cortex. Our results can be of great importance in improving the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of Cinnamomi Cortex, as well as enhancing its effects in clinical applications.

Chemical components and pharmacological action for Cinnamomum cassia and predictive analysis on Q-marker / 中草药

Cinnamomum cassia, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, is mainly distributed in tropical areas. Its genuine producing areas contain Guangdong Province, Guangxi Province and parts of Vietnam. The chemical composition is rich in C. cassia, including volatile oil, flavanol, terpenoids, ligans, phenolic acids, polysaccharides, etc. Traditionally, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid from volatile oil are its main effective components. In this paper, the resource, chemical composition and main pharmacological activities of C. cassia were summarized. And on this basis, the relationship between chemical components and drug efficacy, including the volatile oil, polyphenols, flavanol, and diterpenoids, as well as the relationships between biogenetic ways, traditional efficacy, modern pharmacological effects and chemical composition were analyzed. It is suggested that identification and quantification of volatile oil, polyphenols, flavanol and diterpenoids should be carried out and the further research of the chemical group of polyphenols and terpenoids from C. cassia should be focused, which could provide basis for clarifying the quality marker (Q-marker) and establishing scientific quality standards of C. cassia.

The essential oil from the twigs of Cinnamomum cassia Presl inhibits oxytocin-induced uterine contraction in vitro and in vivo.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The twigs and bark of Cinnamomum cassia Presl (Lauraceae) are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of tumor, abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, digestive system disease and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the inhibitory effect of the essential oil from the twigs of Cinnamomum cassia Presl (EOCC) on uterine contraction in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mouse uterine contraction was induced by oxytocin (OT) exposure following estradiol benzoate pretreatment. Mice were given the EOCC (60, 30, and 15mg/kg) by gavage. The level of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) in uterine tissue were determined according to specification of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Uterine tissue was collected for histopathological analysis (H&E). Myosin light chain 20 (MLC20), phosphorylation of myosin light chain 20 (p-MLC20) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins in uterine tissue were assessed by Western Blot. Mouse isolated uterus strips were mounted in tissue organ baths containing Locke's solution. The contractile responses were recorded with Power Lab recording system. The effect of the EOCC on uterine contraction induced by OT, PGF2α, and acetylcholine (Ach) was observed. Myometrial cells were exposed to OT (7µM) to induce Ca2+ release, and the effect of the EOCC (100, 50, and 25µg/ml) on intracellular Ca2+ was analysed with fluorometry imaging. RESULTS: In vivo study demonstrated that the EOCC significantly reduced OT-induced writhing responses with a maximal inhibition of 66.5%. It also decreased the level of PGF2α in OT-induced mice uterine tissue. Moreover, Western blot analysis showed that COX-2 and p-MLC20 expressions in uterine tissue of dysmenorrhea mice were significantly reduced. EOCC inhibited spontaneous uterus contractions in a dose-dependent manner, and the concentration of the EOCC giving 50% of maximal contraction (IC50) value was 61.3µg/ml. The IC50 values of the EOCC on OT, PGF2α, and Ach-induced contractions were 113.0µg/ml, 94.7µg/ml, and 61.5µg/ml, respectively. Further in vitro studies indicated that the EOCC could restrain intracellular Ca2+ levels in favour of uterine relaxation. CONCLUSION: Both in vivo and in vitro results suggest that the EOCC possesses significant spasmolytic effect on uterine contraction. Thus, the EOCC yields a possible therapeutic choice for the prevention and treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.

The essential oil from the twigs of Cinnamomum cassia Presl alleviates pain and inflammation in mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cinnamomum cassia Presl (Lauraceae) can be found southern China and its bark is commonly used for centuries as ingredient in food and cosmetic industry. The twigs of Cinnamomum cassia Presl is popularly used in China to treat inflammatory processes, pain, menstrual disorders, hypertension, fever etc. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the essential oil (EO) from the twigs of Cinnamomum cassia Presl. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The chemical characterization of the EO was performed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The EO doses of 15, 30, and 60mg/kg were employed in the biological assays. The antinociceptive effects of the EO were evaluated using the models of acetic acid-induced writhing, oxytocin-induced writhing, and formalin and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) -induced overt pain tests. we also investigated the effect of the EO in pain intensity to a mechanical stimulus (mechanical hyperalgesia) after carrageenan by using an electronic version of von Frey filaments. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity was based on paw edema induced by carrageenan (300µg/25µL/paw) in mice. The levels of cytokines, NO, and PGE2 in paw skin tissue were determined according to instructions. COX-2 and iNOS proteins in paw skin tissue were assessed by Western Blot. RESULTS: The EO (15, 30, and 60mg/kg) reduced the number of abdominal writhings induced by acetic acid with inhibition of 38.0%, 55.4% and 58.7%, respectively. The EO (15, 30, and 60mg/kg) also reduced the number of abdominal writhings induced by oxytocin with inhibition of 27.3%, 51.7% and 69.0%, respectively. The EO significant inhibited the inflammatory (second phase: 10-30min) phase of the formalin-induced paw flinching and licking at the doses of 15, 30, and 60mg/kg. The EO at the tested doses of 15, 30, and 60mg/kg showed inhibited CFA-induced paw flinching and licking. The EO (15, 30, and 60mg/kg) also inhibited carrageenan-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and paw edema. It also decreased the levels of cytokines (TNF-α, and IL-1ß), NO, and PGE2 in carrageenan-induced mice paw skin tissue. Moreover, Western blot analysis showed that COX-2 and iNOS expressions in paw skin tissue of mice were significantly reduced. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the EO from the twigs of Cinnamomum cassia Presl, corroborating its use in folk medicine.

Optimization of Extraction Technology of Total Volatile Oil from Cinnamomum cassia Presl. and Cyperus rotundus L. in Hegan Lipi Granules by Box-Behnken Response Surface Method / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To optimize the extraction technology of total volatile oil from Cinnamomum cassia Presl. and Cyper-us rotundus L. in Hegan lipi granules. METHODS:With the extraction rate of total volatile oil as the index,Box-Behnken response surface method was applied to investigate the effects of water amount,soaking time for medicinal materials and extraction time by distillation on the amount of the extracted volatile oil and optimize the extraction technology of total volatile oil from C. cassia Pre-sl. and C. rotundus L. in Hegan lipi granules,and verification tests were conducted. RESULTS:The relevant coefficient of the es-tablished quadratic polynomial regression model of 3 variable factors was 0.970 5. The optimal extraction technology was as follows as 5 times as much as the amount of medicinal materials of water,soaking time of 2.5 h,extraction time of 6.0 h. Verification tests showed the extraction rate of total volatile oil was 1.65%,with a deviation rate lower than 2% compared to the predicted value of 1.67%. CONCLUSIONS:The established model is reliable with good predictability. The optimal technology can be used for the ex-traction of total volatile oil from C. cassia Presl. and C. rotundus L. in Hegan lipi granules.

Chemical composition and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of Cinnamomum cassia essential oil.

BACKGROUND: Essential oils extracted from aromatic plants exhibit important biological activities and have become increasingly important for scientific research. The essential oil extracted from Cinnamomum cassia Presl (CC-EO) has various functional properties, however, little information is available regarding the tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to investigate the chemical composition and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the CC-EO. RESULTS: cis-2-methoxycinnamic acid (43.06%) and cinnamaldehyde (42.37%) were found to be the two major components of the CC-EO identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The inhibitory activities of CC-EO and its major constituents were further evaluated against mushroom tyrosinase. The results showed that CC-EO and cinnamaldehyde exhibited anti-tyrosinase activities with IC50 values of 6.16 ± 0.04 mg/mL and 4.04 ± 0.08 mg/mL, respectively. However, cis-2-methoxycinnamic acid did not show any anti-tyrosinase activity. The inhibition kinetics were analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots and second replots, which revealed that CC-EO and cinnamaldehyde were mixed-type inhibitors. The inhibition constants (Ki) for CC-EO and cinnamaldehyde were calculated to be 4.71 ± 0.09 mg/mL and 2.38 ± 0.09 mg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that CC-EO and its major component, cinnamaldehyde, possess potent anti-tyrosinase activities and may be a good source for skin-whitening agents.

Chemical constituents from barks of Cinnamomum cassia growing in China / 中草药

Objective: To study the chemical constituents from the barks of Cinnamomum cassia. Methods: Silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC were used to isolate the compounds. The structures of the compounds were identified on the basis of their physicochemical properties, spectroscopic data, and with the literature. Results: Fifteen compounds were isolated from the barks of C. cassia growing in China, including cinnzeylanine (1), anhydrocinnzeylanine (2), anhydrocinnzeylanol (3), cinnzeylanol (4), (-)-lariciresinol (5), evofolin B (6), 5'-medioresinol (7), (+)-syringaresinol (8), 2-hydroxyl cinnamie acid (9), 1, 10-seco-4ζ-hydroxy-muurol-ene-1, 10-diketone (10), (-)-epicatechin (11), kaempferol (12), proanthocyanidin A2 (13), stigmasterol (14), and stearic acid (15). Conclusion: Compounds 5-7 and 10 are lignans isolated from the plant for the first time, and compounds 1-4 are ryanodanediterpenes isolated from the barks of C. cassia growing in China for the first time.

Methodological Study on GC Fingerprint of Volatile Oil from Cinnamomum cassia Presl / 中药新药与临床药理

Objective To establish the method of fingerprint analysis for volatile oil from Cinnamomum cassia Presl and to determine the main characteristic components.Methods The main components of the volatile oil of Cinnamomum cassia Presl from different habitats of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces and from GAP base were compared by GC fingerprinting,and 11 common components were determined.The chromatogram conditions were as follows: the GC system consisted of Flame Ionization Detector(FID) and HP6890 gas chromatograph with a HP-5 column(Crosslinked Mehyl siloxame,30 m? 0.321 mm? 0.25 ? m),the temperatures of sample vent and FID were 240 ℃ and 300 ℃ respectively and the column programmed temperature was elevated from 100 ℃ to 140 ℃ at the rate of 20 ℃ ? min-1 and then from 140 ℃ to 200 ℃ at the rate of 2 ℃ ? min-1,the carrier gas was N2 and its flow rate was 0.4 mL? min-1,and the split ratio was 50 ∶ 1.Results With 11 components as indexes,the RSD of precision,reproducibility and stability of GC fingerprinting method is in the range of 5 %.Conclusion A good fingerprint of Cinnamomum cassia Presl has been established.The method is reliable,accurate and can be applied for the quality control of Cinnamomum cassia Presl.