The genus Cinnamomum

82 U.M. Senanayake and R.O.B. Wijesekera
As sensitivity of GLC techniques increased towards the end of the 1960s with the
advent of improved electronics, stationary phases and support materials, and the development
of capillary columns, many previously unidentified cinnamon volatiles were
described. The introduction of capillary columns, particularly support coated open
tubular (SCOT) columns, combined with mass spectrometry, permitted the identification
of compounds that were present in very minute quantities, and yet could have
significant impact on flavour.
Asakawa et al. (1971) detected the presence of 19 compounds from the benzene
extracts of the root, bark and heartwood of C. loureirii. All three extracts had the same
array of compounds but in different proportions. Cinnamic aldehyde was the major
compound in both root and bark extracts; both extracts contained over 70%. There
was no cinnamic aldehyde in the heartwood. Asakawa et al. (1971) identified eight
monoterpenes and four aromatic compounds by GLC (Table 3.1).
Table 3.1 Volatiles identified in C. verum oils by various workers
Compound Method of identification Literature reference
Classical TLC* GLC*
-Pinene 1,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13
Dipentene 2,5,9
Camphene 10,11,13
-Pinene 10,11,13
Sabinene 10
3 -Carene 10,13
-Phellandrene 1,5,6,9,10,11,13
-Terpinene 10,13
Limonene 9,10,13
1:8 Cineole 9,10,11
-Phellandrene 3,4,5,6,13
-Terpinene 10,13
p-Cymene 1,5,6,7,9,13
-Ocimene 13
n-Methylamylketone 1,5
Nonaldehyde 1,5
Furfural 1,5,11
Benzaldehyde 1,3,5,6,9,11,13
-Ylangene 10
Camphor 2,9,10,11,13
Linalool 1,3,5,7,9,10,11,13
Borneol 3
-Caryophyllene 1,3,5,6,7,9,13
4-Terpinen-1-ol 10
-Caryophyllene 3,4,5,11
-Humulene 10,13
-Terpineol 3,4,9,10,11,13
Piperitone 3,10
Cuminaldehyde 1,5,10,11
Geraniol 3,5,10
Safrole 3,5,9,10
Cinnamic aldehyde 3,5,6,8,9,10,11,13
Hydrocinnamic aldehyde 1,5,11
Methyl cinnamate 10,13