The genus Cinnamomum

Table 3A.1 Composition of cinnamon essential oils (bark oil A and B; leaf oil C; and,
cassia essential oil (leaf and stem oil, D) (in %) a
Compound Cinnamon Cassia
D
A B C
-Pinene 0.07 0.035 0.3 traces
Camphene 0.04 0.049 0.14 traces
-Pinene 0.03 0.02 0.12 traces
-3-Carene 0.01 0.015 0.025 traces
A-p-menthene 0.06 0.06 – traces
Myrcene 0.08 0.07 traces traces
Limonene 0.09 0.095 0.18 traces
-Phellandrene 0.4 0.64 0.28 traces
(1,8-cineole)
p-Cymene 0.35 0.25 0.79 traces
-Copaene 0.05 0.04 0.68 traces
Benzaldehyde 0.05 traces 0.17 0.94
Linalool 0.7 1.06 2.4 traces
-Caryophyllene 1 2.0 3.33 traces
-Humulene 0.2 0.62 0.61 –
Salicylaldehyde – – – –
-Terpineol 0.35 0.62 0.35 (0.065) 0.02
( borneol) (borneol)
Hydrocinnamaldehyde 0.1 0.7 – 0.06
-Cadinene – – 0.2 –
Phenethyl acetate – – traces 0.24
cis-Cinnamaldehyde 0.12 0.98 – 0.14
Safrole – – 1.05 –
o-Methoxybenzaldehyde 0.15 0.09 – 0.7
Caryophyllene oxide traces 0.12 0.64 0.02
trans-Cinnamaldehyde 72 82.15 5.7 65.45
trans-Cinnamyl acetate 3.65 3.24 0.2 3.55
Eugenol 13.3 1.07 68.5 traces
trans-Cinnamyl alcohol 0.6 0.50 – 0.24
Acetyleugenol – – – 0.15
o-Methoxycinnamaldehyde 0.8 0.3 traces 2.65
Isoeugenol – – 1.1 –
Coumarin – – – 8.73
Benzyl benzoate 1.0 0.4 4.06 0.63
Phenethyl benzoate – – traces 0.07
Total 95.18 95.12 90.89 83.79
Source: Vernin et al., 1994.
Note
a Essential oils A, C, and D were commercial products. Oil B was obtained by steam distillation from commercially
available quills (ESPIG). The composition was determined by gas chromatographically.
Table 3A.2 Head space analysis of cinnamon and cassia essential oils a
Compound Cinnamon (%) Cassia (%)
Bark
Bark Leaves
-Pinene 0.18 – 0.1
Limonene – – 0.28