The genus Cinnamomum

1147 Isoborneol 0.36 0.55
1158 Borneol 0.09 0.0
1165 Terpinen-4-ol 0.92 1.08
1206 Nerol 1.34 0.14
1241 (E)-cinnamyl aldehyde 1.48 0.12
1241 Geraniol 0.04 –
1258 Linalyl acetate 0.03 0.05
1325 Eugenol 0.11 0.04
1343 Thymol acetate 0.25 0.03
1369 (Z)-cinnamyl acetate 2.00 1.91
1386 -Elemene 0.83 0.11
1413 (E)-cinnamyl acetate 7.11 8.62
1420 -Caryophyllene 0.04 0.19
1432 (E)-methyl cinnamate 0.05 0.96
1449 (E)--farnesene 0.16 1.56
1451 -Amorphene 1.40 1.31
1458 -Humulene 1.84 2.38
1473 -Muuurolene 0.41 0.31
1486 Germacrene-D 0.55 1.95
1488 -Patchoulene 0.55 0.27
1502 -Muurolene 0.04 8.22
1513 -Cardinene 8.05 23.48
1521 -Cardinene 19.15 1.40
1527 Cis-calamene 1.07 2.33
1543 -Elemol 1.81 –
1552 (E)-nerolidol 0.09 0.14
1555 Caryophyllene-alcohol 0.05 0.49
1567 Spathulenol 0.22 0.56
1576 Caryophyllene oxide 0.09 0.05
1581 Globulol 0.09 0.29
1599 Humulene epoxide I 0.36 0.42
1606 Humulene epoxide II 0.05 0.12
1612 Epi-cubenol 0.48 0.52
1624 Cubenol 4.23 5.52
1636 -muurolol 1.29 1.71
Source: Syamasundar et al., 2000.
Chemistry of Cinnamon and Cassia 103
(E)-cinnamyl alcohol. Among the mevalonic acid metabolites sesquiterpenes were the
major compounds. The monoterpene portion was very low (21%); -bergamontene,
-copaene, -humulene, and -cadinenes were the major sesquiterpenes, -cadenol and
globulol were the major sesquiterpene alcohols. The only oxide present was caryophyllene
oxide. Fifteen compounds present in the fruit volatiles were found in the flower oil
constituting 74% of the oil. The chemical composition of flower oil is distinctly different
from bark and leaf oils. (See Annex 3.1 for other secondary metabolites.)
Conclusion
The species C. verum, C. cassia and C. camphora contain volatiles both common and
unique to each species. The three types of oils produced from cinnamon have the same
array of aromatic and terpenoid compounds but in characteristically different proportions.
Cinnamic aldehyde is the major compound in the stem bark oil containing