Cinnamomum cassia, C aromaticum, C. lignea Chinese Cinnamon, Cassia Bark, Bastard, Cinnamon, False Cinnamon -Western-

Cinnamomum cassia. C aromaticum, C. lignea Chinese Cinnamon, Cassia Bark, Bastard Cinnamon, False Cinnamon Family: Lauraceae

PART USED: Bark The cultivated trees are kept as coppices, the shoots are not allowed to grow more than 3 m. The trees are at their best at 10-12 years of age. The bark is cut from the young shoots when the leaves are red.
The bark is brown, in quilled pieces, sometimes with the remains of the outer layer present.
TASTE and ODOR: Similar to cinnamon but distinct.
ACTIONS
1. Carminative.^[1]
2. Spasmolytic.^[1]
3. Stomachic.^[2] Sstrengthens gastric secretions.
4. Aromatic.^[2]
5. Anti-emetic.^[1] Antidiarrheal.^[1] Antimicrobial.^[1] Mildly astringent.
6. Tonic.^[2]
7. Antipyretic.^[2]
8. Diaphoretic.^[2]
9. Analgesic.^[2]
10. Emmenagogue. Capable of decreasing secretion of milk.
11. Antidiabetic- Modulates insulin sensitivity in Type 2 diabetes. Reduces inflammatory markers in metabolic syndrome. Stimulates uptake of glucose via stimulation of GLUT4 protein (primary glucose transporter in muscle, cardiac, and fat cells).^[4]
INDICATIONS - useful as a flavoring.
1. Diarrhea.^[1]Flatulent dyspepsia.^[1] Nausea. Flatulent colic.^[1] Vomiting. Flatulent Distension.
2. Common cold.^[1]
SPECIFIC INDICATIONS: Colic or dyspepsia with flatulent distension and nausea.^[1]
COMBINATIONS
- Flatulent dyspepsia, and gastritis, use with Meadowsweet, Chamomile, and Marshmallow Root.
- Diarrhea with tormina (griping pains), use with Geranium, Oak and Catechu.
- Common cold, use with Millefolium, Peppermint and Sambucus.
COMPARISONS
The bark is thicker, coarser, darker and duller, the flavor more pungent, less sweet and delicate, and slightly bitter than Cinnamomum zeylanicum= Ceylon Cinnamon. The stronger flavor is preferred by German and Roman chocolate makers. The volatile oil is cheaper and more abundant than oil of Ceylon Cinnamon, so Materia Medicas usually are referring to C. cassia.
PREPARATIONS 3X /day
Dried bark 0.5-1g,^[1] or by infusion 1:20.
Tincture (BHP1949) 2-4ml.^[1]

2. Cinnamonum cassia bark

[1] British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983 Published by the British Herbal Medicine Association ISBN 0 903032 07 4.
[2] Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations R.C. Wren Revised by Elizabeth M. Williamson and Fred J Evans. First published in Great Britain in 1988 and reprinted in 1989 and 1994 by the C. W. Daniel Company Limited. 1 Church Path, Saffron Walden Essex. Published 1988 Printed and bound by Biddles, Guildford ISBN 085207 1973.
[3] Australian Medicinal Plants - E.V. Lassak & T. McCarthy. Publisher- Reed New Holland, Australia 1983. ISBN 1876334703.
[4] healthmasterslive.com Drug induced nturitional deficiencies and herb drug interaction master class
[5] A Modern Herbal - Mrs M. Grieve Publisher- Penguin- Great Britain. First published by Jonathan Cape 1931. ISBN 0 14 046-440 9
Images
1. elicriso.it
2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki by Chaojoker CC BY-SA 3.0
3. en.wikipedia.org by Itineranttrader Public Domain

Cinnamon bark
Volatile oil 1-2%.^[1]
Tannins.^[1] Starch.
Water soluble polyphenol polymers, which support glucose metabolism
Essential oil: The oils value is determined by the amount of cinnamaldehye.
Trans-cinnamaldehyde 75-90%,^[1,2,13] with cinnamylacetate,^[5] phenylpropylacetate, orthocumaric aldehyde and numerous trace constituents including salicylaldehyde and methyleugenol.^[2]Cinnamic acid.^[13]
Diterpenes, classified into five different types, including the cinncassiols A-E and their glucosides.^[3,4,5]
Tannins and polyphenols; catechin, epicatechin, procyanidins cinnamonol, cinnamtannins.^[6,7]
No hydrolysable tannins, mono- or sesquiterpenes have been isolated.^[5,7]

Cinnamaldehyde ia a weak CNS stimulant at low doses and a depressant at high doses and has spasmolytic activity.^[8]
Cinnamaldehyde is hypotensive, hypoglycaemic and increases peripheral blood flow,^[9,10] and it reduces platelet aggregegability by inhibiting both the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonic acid metabolism.^[11] It is however volatile and easily lost from the crude drug and its preparations.^[12]
The cinncassiols are thought to be responsible for at least some of the anti-allergic effects.^[3,4]
References
[1] British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983 Published by the British Herbal Medicine Association ISBN 0 903032 07 4.
[2] Senayake, U. M. et al (1978) J. Agric. Food Chem. 20, 822
[3] Nohara, T. et al. (1985) Phytochem. 21 (8), 2130
[4] Nohara, T. et al. (1985) Phytochem. 24 (8), 1849
[5] Hikino, H. Edonomic and Medicinal Plant Research, Vol 1. Pub. Academic Press (1985) UK
[6] Otsuka, H. et al. (1982) Yakugaju Zasshi 102, 162
[7] Morimoto, S. et al. (1982) Abstra. 28th Ann. Meeting Japan Pharm. Soc. p555.
[8] Pharmacology and Applications of Chinese Materia Medica Vol 1, Ed. H. Chan and P. But, Pub. World Scientific (1986) Singapore
[9] Harada, M. and Yamazaki, R. (1981) Abstr. 64th Meeting Kanto Branch Japan Pharmacol. Soc. p27
[10] Harada, M. and Hirayama, Y. (1979) ibid 60th Meeting p34
[11] Yahara, K, et al. (1986) 6th Int. Conf. Prostaglandins and Related Compounds, Florence, Italy. June 3rd-6th. Pub. Fondzione Giovanni Lorenzini
[12] Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations R.C. Wren Revised by Elizabeth M. Williamson and Fred J Evans. First published in Great Britain in 1988 and reprinted in 1989 and 1994 by the C. W. Daniel Company Limited. 1 Church Path, Saffron Walden Essex. Published 1988 Printed and bound by Biddles, Guildford ISBN 085207 1973.
[13] Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica - Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble - Eastland Press 1986 Seattle Washington ISBN 0-939616-15-7

Cinnamon use in type 2 diabetes: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.
Allen RW, Schwartzman E, Baker WL, Coleman CI, Phung OJ.
Abstract
PURPOSE:
Cinnamon has been studied in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for its glycemic-lowering effects, but studies have been small and show conflicting results. A prior meta-analysis did not show significant results, but several RCTs have been published since then. We conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs evaluating cinnamon's effect on glycemia and lipid levels.
METHODS:
MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched through February 2012. Included RCTs evaluated cinnamon compared with control in patients with type 2 diabetes and reported at least one of the following: glycated hemoglobin (A1c), fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), or triglycerides. Weighted mean differences (with 95% confidence intervals) for endpoints were calculated using random-effects models.
RESULTS:
In a meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (n = 543 patients), cinnamon doses of 120 mg/d to 6 g/d for 4 to 18 weeks reduced levels of fasting plasma glucose (-24.59 mg/dL; 95% CI, -40.52 to -8.67 mg/dL), total cholesterol (-15.60 mg/dL; 95% CI, -29.76 to -1.44 mg/dL), LDL-C (-9.42 mg/dL; 95% CI, -17.21 to -1.63 mg/dL), and triglycerides (-29.59 mg/dL; 95% CI, -48.27 to -10.91 mg/dL). Cinnamon also increased levels of HDL-C (1.66 mg/dL; 95% CI, 1.09 to 2.24 mg/dL). No significant effect on hemoglobin A1c levels (-0.16%; 95%, CI -0.39% to 0.02%) was seen. High degrees of heterogeneity were present for all analyses except HDL-C (I(2) ranging from 66.5% to 94.72%).
CONCLUSIONS:
The consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride levels, and an increase in HDL-C levels; however, no significant effect on hemoglobin A1c was found. The high degree of heterogeneity may limit the ability to apply these results to patient care, because the preferred dose and duration of therapy are unclear. Ann Fam Med. 2013 Sep-Oct;11(5):452-9. doi: 10.1370/afm.1517. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antidiabetic effect of Cinnamomum cassia and Cinnamomum zeylanicum in vivo and in vitro.
Verspohl EJ, Bauer K, Neddermann E.
Abstract
Rats were given Cinnamomum cassia bark or extracts from Cinnamomum cassia and zeylanicum to evaluate blood glucose and plasma insulin levels in rats under various conditions. The cassia extract was superior to the zeylanicum extract. The cassia extract was slightly more efficacious than the equivalent amount of Cassia bark. A decrease in blood glucose levels was observed in a glucose tolerance test (GTT), whereas it was not obvious in rats that were not challenged by a glucose load. The elevation in plasma insulin was direct since a stimulatory in vitro effect of insulin release from INS-1 cells (an insulin secreting cell line) was observed. Thus the cassia extract has a direct antidiabetic potency.
PMID: 15934022 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1643 Phytother Res. 2005 Mar;19(3):203-6. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov