CHAPTER 9. Cinnamon: Cinnamomum verum (syn Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Cinnamomum cassia (syn Cinnamomum aromaticum), Cinnamomum burmanni, Cinnamomum loureiroi

Cinnamon (quills) is a sweet, aromatic and warm popular culinary spice used to flavour food and drinks. It is associated with the festive season, and is an ingredient of scented oils, perfumes or potpourri. Cinnamon has a long tradition of use in both Eastern and Western traditional medicines. Cinnamon possesses a range of bioactive properties and the study of this spice extends across the globe with a not inconsiderable amount of work coming out of Asia, particularly the Middle East. In addition to the wealth of literature concerning its glycaemic control properties, it is reported to possess anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-parasitic activity, and there is a growing body of evidence concerning its lipid, blood pressure lowering, anti-obesity, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. This spice is also reported to possess nociceptive and wound healing properties and to inhibit tau aggregation and filament formation, which are both characteristics of Alzheimer's disease indicative of neuroprotective properties. Due to its ability to promote collagen synthesis and inhibit the production of osteoclasts this spice could be used to develop novel anti-ageing products and bone disease therapies.