Cinnamomum burmannii

The dominant aromatic constituent of the bark oil, responsible for the characteristic cinnamon odour. It shows antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and insulin-sensitising activity in laboratory studies, and is the principal marker used to authenticate cassia oils.

A simple benzopyrone present in far higher amounts than in true (Ceylon) cinnamon. It is the main safety concern of cassia because chronic high intake is hepatotoxic in susceptible individuals; European authorities set a tolerable daily intake of 0.1 mg/kg body weight based on coumarin exposure from cassia.

An aromatic phenol concentrated in the leaf oil that contributes analgesic, antiseptic and antioxidant properties. It scavenges free radicals and has local anaesthetic-type activity.

An oxidation product of cinnamaldehyde with reported antioxidant and antimicrobial activity that also contributes to the aroma profile.

Aroma-active minor terpenoid-related components of the essential oil that contribute to the sweet, balsamic note of the bark.

Water-soluble polyphenols of the bark that account for much of the antioxidant capacity of cinnamon tea and are the fraction most studied for possible effects on glucose metabolism and insulin signalling.

Dried inner bark is ground and used as a culinary spice or steeped (about 1-2 g per cup) as a warming infusion. Because C. burmannii (korintje/Padang cassia) is high in coumarin, regular high daily intake of the powder should be avoided; occasional culinary use is considered safe.

Steam distillation yields a cinnamaldehyde-rich bark oil (or eugenol-rich leaf oil) used in flavouring and aromatherapy. Cinnamaldehyde-rich oils are potent skin and mucous-membrane irritants and sensitisers; they must be heavily diluted for topical use and never taken undiluted internally.

Water or hydroalcoholic extraction concentrates polyphenols and lowers the fat-soluble coumarin fraction relative to the whole bark; such extracts are the form used in most glucose and antioxidant studies. Standardised supplements should note their coumarin content.

A crossover randomized trial in patients with type 2 diabetes tested an aqueous extract of Cinnamomum burmannii. The extract did not significantly change postprandial glycaemia (incremental area under the curve, peak glucose) compared with control, although it demonstrated appreciable antioxidant capacity.

Georg Eberhard Rumphius catalogued the cinnamon/cassia trees of the Indonesian archipelago, documenting the Sumatran cassias that entered the Dutch East India spice trade as a distinct, cheaper alternative to Ceylon cinnamon.

Padang and Batavia cassia (C. burmannii) were long recorded in commercial and pharmaceutical treatises as carminative, warming stomachics and as common substitutes for true cinnamon in Western apothecary practice.