Cinnamic Acid

Cinnamic acid is an acid, as found in benzoin, Peru balsam, and cinnamon.

Links to Plants Containing Cinnamic Acid

Cinnamon

RESEARCH

The listings of research below represents a compilation of scientific articles found on the topic, with a very brief overview description of each article/study.  This compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use of any herb listed.

SAFETY

• The cinnamic acid constituent may be toxic in high dose.  From:  Hoskins, J. A. (1984). The occurrence, metabolism and toxicity of cinnamic acid and related compounds. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 4(6), 283-292.

ANTIMICROBIAL / ANTIBACTERIAL

• This mega analysis reviewed studies of essential oils as antibacterial agents in food.  Several effective constituents included carvacrol, thymol, eugenol, perillaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid.  They have minimum inhibitory concentrations with some having synergism such as carvacrol and p-cymene, cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, and between EO components and mild preservation methods.  From:  Burt, S. (2004). Essential oils: their antibacterial properties and potential applications in foods—a review. International journal of food microbiology, 94(3), 223-253.
• The antioxidant activity of gallic acid and the inhibitory activity of cinnamic acid against Helicobacter pylori found in ginger rhizomes contributed to its gastroprotective ability.  From:  Nanjundaiah, S. M., Annaiah, H. N. M., & Dharmesh, S. M. (2011). Gastroprotective effect of ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale) extract: role of gallic acid and cinnamic acid in H. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011.

ANTI-DIABETIC

• Cinnamic acid from cinnamon demonstrated in vitro increased glucose tolerance and stimulated insulin secretion. From:  Hafizur, R. M., Hameed, A., Shukrana, M., Raza, S. A., Chishti, S., Kabir, N., & Siddiqui, R. A. (2015). Cinnamic acid exerts anti-diabetic activity by improving glucose tolerance in vivo and by stimulating insulin secretion in vitro. Phytomedicine, 22(2), 297-300.

CARDIAC PROTECTIVE

• Cinnamic acid showed anti-obesity and antihypertensive activity in vivo.  From:  Mnafgui, K., Derbali, A., Sayadi, S., Gharsallah, N., Elfeki, A., & Allouche, N. (2015). Anti-obesity and cardioprotective effects of cinnamic acid in high fat diet-induced obese rats. Journal of food science and technology, 52(7), 4369-4377.

Compiled by: Kathy Sadowski

Updated: 01/07/19