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Amazing cinnamon tree     

Cinnamon has been consumed for ages by many cultures all over the world. In secondary to its culinary applications, Cinnamon is used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat multiple disorders viz respiratory, digestive, and gynecological concerns. Almost every component of the cinnamon tree has medicinal or culinary use, including the bark, leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots ( 1 , 2 , 3 ).             

Cinnamon essential oil is extracted from the bark or leaves of cinnamon plants, notably the Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (C. verum) and Cinnamomum cassia .           
The majority of commercially available cinnamon oil is made from Cinnamomum cassia and is known as cassia cinnamon oil. Ceylon cinnamon oil, which is extracted from the Cinnamomum Zeylanicum plant, is pricier.     

What are essential oils?     

Essential oils are aromatic, volatile liquids extracted from plant material through steam distillation. They are either products or blends of fragrant substances or blends of fragrant and odorless substances. These fragrant substances are chemically pure molecules that are volatile under regular conditions ( 4 ).           

Cinnamaldehyde and Eugenol     

Cinnamon primarily contains vital oils and other derivatives, such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate ( 5 ) . Cinnamaldehyde (bark), eugenol (leaf), and camphor (root) are the major components of cinnamon’s volatile oils ( 6 ) . The chemical makeup of volatile oils extracted from bark, leaf, and root barks varies greatly, implying that their pharmacological effects may also differ ( 1 , 2 ) .         

One amongst, Cinnamaldehyde is the major component that leads to cinnamon's distinctive scent ( 7 ) and it contains about 49.9-97.7% in Ceylon cinnamon bark oil. Eugenol is the major volatile compound that can be found in the cinnamon leaf essential oil (approximately 74.9-90% in Ceylon cinnamon leaf oil) ( 8 ) along with other 25 chemical compounds in smaller concentrations ( 9 , 10 ) .         

Let's explore some of the rewards of cinnamon extracts.         

Combat bacterial diseases     

The processed bark extracts are of cinnamon are valued and popular for their antimicrobial properties. Studies have reported that Ceylon cinnamon bark oil and cinnamaldehyde possessed high bactericidal activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa which infects the lungs. Moreover, they showed this could be a compound used for beneficial human health, considering as an alternative therapeutic agent for medical application and anti-bacterial supplement in health products, especially natural active compounds that might reduce the cost and could be safe.         

Promote oral health   

Cinnamon oil’s antifungal and antibacterial properties have been found to be effective against oral infections. C. zeylanicum essential oil shows antifungal activity, action on the yeast cell wall, and a deleterious effect on Candida spp. biofilms ( 12 ) . Trusted sources have shown leaf oil is potent to use in oral fungal infections ( 12 ) . Cinnamon oil showed the highest activity against Streptococcus mutans which is a significant contributor to tooth decay ( 13 ) .         

Impact on neurological diseases     

Cinnamon oil contains phenylpropanoids such medioresinol and crytamygin, which especially help to prevent Alzheimer's disease which is the most prevalent type of dementia, characterized by memory loss and cognitive degeneration ( 8 ) .   

Beneficial in skin infections     

Cinnamon oil was proved to have an antimicrobial effect for Staphylococcus aureus , S. pyogenes and S. epidermidis bacteria that cause skin infections ( 14 ) .   

Use in the food and beverage industry     

Cinnamon oil is a common ingredient in food and beverage production. Many items, such as sugar-free gum and hard candy, have it as one of the components. It is also employed as a natural food preservative in the production of commercially baked products. Cinnamon oil is also used in tea and wine as a flavoring. In most dishes, cinnamon oil is used as an ingredient.            
Already we know, cinnamon has been used as a spice and flavoring agent in recipes for ages due to its scent. Cinnamaldehyde gives cinnamon its sweet flavor, and when cinnamon is combined with sweet foods, the sweet experience is amplified because of the synergetic effect of the sweet taste of sugar and the sweet scent of cinnamon ( 15 ) . Furthermore, researchers discovered that cinnamon oil may form compounds with a variety of food ingredients (i.e., enrichment), preserving its biochemical features and increasing its application in a wide range of foods ( 16 ) .            

Antimicrobial activity on food commodities     

Cinnamon oil has shown promise in controlling bacterial and fungal infections in numerous food commodities, ranging from fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, dairy, and various other processed food products by coating or immersing in a solution containing cinnamon oil ( 8 ) . Accordingly use cinnamon oil to increase the postharvest quality of food commodities.            
The increase in shelf life (postharvest life) of cinnamon-treated food commodities is because of the presence of phenolic compounds in Ceylon cinnamon oil ( 8 ) .         

Use in cosmetics, toiletries and disinfectants     

The cinnamon bark oil due to its strong activity can be used as an alternative antibacterial agent in cosmetics, toiletries and disinfectants applied in the hospital environment ( 17 ) .           
Ceylon Cinnamon leaf oil s the variety that is used mostly in soap, shampoo, and perfume making since it is high in its fragrance value when compared to bark oil and Chinese cassia oil. It stands with the highest reported maximum use level of 0.8% in perfumes ( 18 ) .           

Blend with air fresheners     

Try adding one drop of cinnamon oil to fabric sachets or dried flowers to scent your room. Alternatively, you can add a few drops to a diffuser filled with water.            

Insecticidal properties of cinnamon oil   

Cinnamon oil has been shown to have insecticidal properties in storage and postharvest conditions ( 19 ) . Cinnamon oil is known to act against granary weevil ( Sitophilus granarius L.), flour beetle ( Tribolium castaneum ), maize weevil ( Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky) lesser grain borer ( Rhyzopertha dominica ), bean weevil ( Acanthos celidesobtectus Say) and many insects ( 8 ) . It repels insects due to the powerful smell which is pleasant for people but not to insects and animals!            

How to use cinnamon essential oil?     

Cinnamon oil is powerful, and it's easy to use too much. It is critical to dilute cinnamon oil with a carrier oil before using it. One drop of cinnamon essential oil to two or more cups of carrier oil, such as olive, almond, jojoba, or sesame oil, is advised. Cinnamon oil should never be rubbed or massaged directly into the skin unless it has been diluted with a carrier oil. Cinnamon oil does not dissolve in water. Cinnamon is generally safe to use as a spice in modest doses. It's related to a slew of outstanding health advantages.    

The FDA has declared cinnamon oil as a substance generally recognized as safe ( 20 ) .            

However,     

Use any cinnamon essential oil with caution. It can burn or irritate skin unless diluted due to high concentration. Thus do not forget to dilute any cinnamon essential oil when using it on a living surface. You should also avoid ingesting full-strength cinnamon oil or putting it in capsules intended for oral consumption. Cinnamon oil has the potential to burn mucous membranes and the lining of the esophagus. Avoid putting full-strength cinnamon oil in your eyes or smearing it on your gums. And also it is advised to avoid using during pregnancy.

Too much of anything is good for nothing. It is more than enough to consume less than the tolerated daily consumption to reap cinnamon oil‘s advantages.             

We are merely presenting you with information that may be valuable to you, and the responsibility for your health rests with you. We highly recommend that before using any herb for medical purposes, you should consult your healthcare professional, physician or doctor. 

Then experience amazing benefits of cinnamon essential oils with their exotic fragrance.