Cinnamon (肉桂) is the dried bark of the plant Cinnamomum cassia Presl, belonging to the Lauraceae family. It is primarily harvested in autumn and dried in the shade.
Cinnamon Plant
【Characteristics】 The product is in a channel or rolled shape, measuring 30-40 cm in length, with a width or diameter of 3-10 cm and a thickness of 0.2-0.8 cm. The outer surface is gray-brown, slightly rough, with irregular fine wrinkles and transverse raised pores, sometimes showing gray-white spots; the inner surface is reddish-brown, slightly flat, with fine longitudinal lines, and shows oil marks when scratched. It is hard and brittle, easily broken, with an uneven fracture surface; the outer layer is brown and rough, while the inner layer is reddish-brown and oily, with a yellow-brown line pattern between the two layers. It has a strong aroma and a sweet, spicy taste.
Cinnamon Medicinal Material
Cinnamon
Cinnamon Identification
True cinnamon (真品肉桂) has an appearance that is channel or rolled shaped, with a thickness of 0.2-0.8 cm; the outer surface has transverse raised pores, and when scratched with a sharp object, it shows significant oil marks, indicating high oil content; when broken, the fracture surface is granular, with a yellow-brown line pattern between the inner and outer layers of cork; it has a strong aroma and a sweet, slightly spicy taste.
Imitation Yinxiang (伪品阴香): This is the bark of the plant Cinnamomum bur-manni (Nees) Blume.
The shape is often plate-like or semi-tubular, with a thickness of about 0.6-1.5 cm, thicker than the genuine product, with round raised pores and gray-white lichen spots. Sometimes the outer bark is scraped off, revealing recessed pore marks; the inner surface is brown and smooth; it is hard, with an uneven fracture surface, and the inner and outer layers are not clearly defined, with a thicker outer layer. The cut surface has numerous slightly glossy yellow-white spots, while the inner layer is thinner and dark brown, with strong oiliness. It has a camphor-like aroma, with a spicy, astringent, and slightly sweet taste.
Imitation Yinxiang
Imitation Chai Gui (伪品柴桂): This is the bark of the plant Cinnamomum ta-mala (Buck-Ham.) Nees et Eberm.
This product is channel-shaped, semi-tubular, or irregular blocks, with a thickness of 0.4-1.5 cm. The outer surface is gray-brown and rough, sometimes showing gray-white spots. The inner surface is dark reddish-brown, with indistinct oil marks when scratched. It is hard, not easily broken, with an uneven fracture surface, and the inner and outer layers are not clearly defined, with a thicker outer layer. The cut surface has numerous slightly glossy yellow-white spots, while the inner layer is thinner and dark brown, with strong oiliness. It has a camphor-like aroma, with a spicy and slightly sweet taste.
Imitation Chai Gui
Imitation San Zuan Feng (伪品三钻风): This is the bark of the plants Lindera obtusiloba L. and Lindera umbellata Thunb.
This product is channel-shaped or semi-rolled, with a thickness of 0.2-0.4 cm. The outer surface is gray-brown, with irregular fine wrinkles, occasionally showing transverse grooves and white spots. The inner surface is dark reddish-brown, slightly smooth, with indistinct fine longitudinal lines. It is hard and brittle, easily broken, with an uneven fracture surface; the outer layer is light yellow-brown, while the inner layer is reddish-brown and oily. It has a faint aroma and a mild scent.
Imitation San Zuan Feng
Confusable Product: Cinnamon (易混淆品桂皮)
Confusable Product: Cinnamon
【Chemical Composition】
Cinnamon contains various nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, riboflavin, thiamine, and carotene. The bark contains volatile oil (known as cinnamon oil) at 1-2%, with the main component being cinnamaldehyde at 75-90%, along with small amounts of cinnamyl acetate and phenylpropyl acetate. This product does not contain eugenol and also contains mucilage and tannins.
【Pharmacological Effects】
1. Pharmacological effects related to efficacy and indications
(1) Effects on the cardiovascular system: ① Positive inotropic effect: Cinnamaldehyde can enhance the contractility of the isolated guinea pig heart and increase heart rate. ② Effects on blood vessels and blood pressure: Cinnamon and cinnamaldehyde can dilate peripheral blood vessels in animals, increasing coronary and cerebral blood flow, leading to decreased blood pressure. ③ Improvement of myocardial blood supply: Cinnamon aqueous extract and cinnamon oil can significantly improve myocardial blood supply in rats, increase left ventricular diastolic pressure and coronary pressure, and promote the opening of collateral circulation in the myocardium.
(2) Effects on the digestive system: ① Anti-ulcer: Cinnamon has inhibitory effects on stress-induced ulcers, inflammatory pain, acetic acid, serotonin, and pyloric ligation ulcers in rats. Its anti-ulcer mechanisms include inhibiting gastric juice secretion and pepsin activity, increasing the content of amino hexose in gastric mucosa, and promoting blood flow in gastric mucosa; ② Stomach tonic and carminative: Cinnamon oil has a direct soothing stimulating effect on gastric mucosa, increasing digestive secretions and enhancing digestive function, aiding in the expulsion of gas from the digestive tract.
(3) Effects on the endocrine system: Cinnamon can cause thymic atrophy in young mice and decrease the vitamin C content in the adrenal glands, reducing cholesterol levels in the adrenal glands of mice with Yang deficiency, indicating that cinnamon has a significant promoting effect on adrenal cortex function. Cinnamon decoction has a function-enhancing effect, increasing plasma testosterone levels and decreasing plasma triiodothyronine (T3) levels.
(4) Anti-platelet aggregation and anticoagulation: Cinnamon extracts and cinnamaldehyde have inhibitory effects on ADP-induced platelet aggregation in rats both in vivo and in vitro. Cinnamon decoction and water-soluble methanol fractions can also prolong plasma recalcification time in rats, exhibiting anticoagulant effects.
(5) Anti-inflammatory effects: Cinnamon extracts significantly inhibit swelling in rat paws induced by carrageenan, swelling in mouse auricles induced by xylene, and granulation tissue proliferation in rats induced by cotton balls.
(6) Analgesic effects: Cinnamon decoction inhibits pain responses in animals induced by thermal, chemical, and pressure tail stimuli.
2. Other pharmacological effects
(1) Effects on the central nervous system: Cinnamon oil, sodium cinnamate, and cinnamaldehyde have sedative and anticonvulsant effects. Cinnamaldehyde reduces spontaneous activity in animals, synergizes with the anesthetic effects of sodium pentobarbital, counteracts excessive activity induced by amphetamine, and delays the onset of tonic seizures and death induced by strychnine.
(2) Antimicrobial effects: Cinnamaldehyde exhibits antimicrobial activity against 31 strains of 22 species of opportunistic pathogenic fungi, characterized by a broad spectrum of activity and low toxicity. Cinnamon decoction and the alcohol and ether extracts of cinnamon also significantly inhibit and kill various pathogenic skin fungi such as Trichophyton rubrum and Candida albicans. Cinnamon oil also has inhibitory effects on Gram-positive bacteria. Cinnamon alcohol extracts can significantly inhibit the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans cells to glass surfaces, suggesting a preventive effect against dental caries.
【Flavor and Meridian Entry】 Spicy, sweet, and very warm. It enters the Kidney, Spleen, Heart, and Liver meridians.
【Functions and Indications】 Tonifies fire and assists Yang, directs fire back to the source, disperses cold and alleviates pain, warms and unblocks the meridians. Used for impotence due to cold in the womb, cold pain in the lower back and knees, shortness of breath due to kidney deficiency, floating Yang, dizziness, red eyes, cold pain in the heart and abdomen, cold vomiting and diarrhea, cold hernia abdominal pain, and dysmenorrhea.
【Dosage and Administration】 1-5 g.
【Precautions】 Use with caution in individuals with bleeding tendencies and pregnant women; should not be used with red stone resin.
【Storage】 Store in a cool, dry place.
Note:This article aims to promote the culture of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The TCM knowledge mentioned is for learning and exchange purposes only.
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