The genus Cinnamomum

260 K.K. Vijayan and R.V. Ajithan Thampuran
In medicinal doses it is a good remedy for flatulence, paralysis of the tongue, enteralgia
(acute intestinal pain) and cramps of the stomach. As an antiseptic it is used as an
injection in gonorrhea. As a germicide it destroys pathogenic bacilli and is used internally
in typhoid fever. The bark is a homeostatic, has a specific action on the uterus and
is given with other urine stimulants to promote parturition and to check haemorrhage.
It is useful in bronchitis and pneumonia. The oil is used in the treatment of rheumatism
and muscular pain. It is antitubercular and used as an injection in phthisis (tuberculosis
of the lung). Many other books on medicinal plants ascribe similar activities and
uses to cinnamon bark and oil (Kirtikar and Basu, 1975; Ambasto, 1986; Chatterjee
and Prakash, 1994a,b; Agarwall, 1997; Bhatacharjee, 1998). Warriar et al. (1994)
attribute many more medicinal properties and uses to cinnamon. According to them it
is alexeteric (wards away infection), anthelminthic (expels worms), diuretic, stimulant,
anti-inflammatory, expectorant and febrifuge (reduces fever). It is useful in hepatopathy
and splenopathy (diseases of the liver and spleen), bronchitis (inflammation of
bronchial tubes), cephalalgic (ache in the head and cephalic portion), odotalgia
(toothache), cardiac disease, and halitosis (foul odour of breath). Cinnamon oil is a
stomachic (increases appetite), carminative, emmanagogue (regulates the menstrual
flow), stryptic (astringent) and is used in vitiated conditions of Vata. Cinnamon bark
and oil are included in ‘Martindale’ as an official drug for its carminative and stimulant
action and also for its use as a flavouring compound. Many multi-ingredient preparations
containing cinnamon used in several countries in various therapeutic formulations
are also listed therein. In Chinese traditional medicine cinnamon is used to induce
perspiration, dispel pathogenic factors from the exterior of the body, as an analgesic and
antipyretic against cold and associated fever and headache, myalgia (mascular pain),
arthralgia (arthritic pain) and amenorrhea (failure of menstruation). In the Chinese
Materia Medica many pharmacological activities are attributed to cinnamon. Cinnamon
is considered to have antimalarial, antiallergic and immunostimulant, antiulcerogenic
and hypotensive activities and cardiovascular effects. It is included in two forms,
Rou Gui (dried bark) and Gui Zhi (dried twig). Many pharmacological investigations
have been carried out mainly on C. cassia, C. verum, C. tamala and a few other species of
Cinnamomum.
Pharmacological Studies
Analgesic, antipyretic and diaphoretic actions
A reduction of body temperature in mice was observed by the administration of a
decoction of the dried twigs of cinnamon. The same result was obtained using
cinnamaldehyde or sodium cinnamate (Chinese Materia Medica). Cinnamaldehyde provides
a hypothermic and antipyretic action. Wang (1985) observed that cinnamaldehyde
produced analgesic effects when tested in acetic acid-induced writhing in mice.
Chatterjee and Prakash (1994b) also report the analgesic activity of cinnamon bark, but
no experimental details were given. Atta and Alkofahi (1998) studied the anti-noiceptive
activity (noiceptor – a receptor which transmits painful stimuli) of the ethanolic extract
and reported that C. verum possessed an analgesic effect against both acetic acid-induced
writhing and hot plate induced thermal stimulation. Newall et al. (1996) also reported
analgesic and antipyretic activity. Cinnamon is a mild diaphoretic agent due to the
vasodialatory effect it produces (Tanikawa et al., 1999).