Cinnamaldehyde is powerfully aromatic, and the dominant constituent found in the bark and leaves of cassia as well as the bark of cinnamon. It is a potent aldehyde; excessive amounts can cause skin irritation and sensitization, as well as liver and kidney toxicity.[1] Research has demonstrated antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, cancer fighting, insect repelling, and respiratory improving potential for this constituent. Below are a few recipes and then a list of scientific research found; more research is necessary.
Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle and use as a general house cleaner. Shake and spray. Discontinue use if any irritation occurs.
Boil all items except the tea bags for 30 minutes, then simmer for 2 hours. In the last 10 minutes, add the tea bags. Let cool overnight, then strain, and keep the liquid in the refrigerator. Heat smaller quantities as needed along with milk and honey to taste. Drink as a tea. Do not exceed normal spice quantity amounts for ingestion; review possible contraindications of each herb before use.
In a crockpot, cook the olive oil, beeswax and shea butter on low until it melts. Then, turn off the heat and add the essential oil. Pour immediately into container(s) with sealing lid(s) for after it cools. Apply salve topically to affected area. Discontinue use if any irritation occurs. Not for prolonged use exceeding two weeks.
INSECTICIDAL / REPELLENT
ANTIMICROBIAL / ANTIBACTERIAL / ANTIFUNGAL
IN VITRO ANTI-CANCER ACTIVITY
IN VITRO ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
RESPIRATORY HEALTH
ANTI-DIABETIC
[1] Tisserand, R. & Young, R. (2014). Essential oil safety, Second Edition. Elsevier.
[2] Chang, K. S., Tak, J. H., Kim, S. I., Lee, W. J., & Ahn, Y. J. (2006). Repellency of Cinnamomum cassia bark compounds and cream containing cassia oil to Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory and indoor conditions. Pest management science, 62(11), 1032-1038.
[3] Gende, Liesel Brenda, et al. “Antimicrobial activity of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) essential oil and its main components against Paenibacillus larvae from Argentine.” Bulletin of insectology 61.1 (2008): 1.
[4] Solórzano-Santos, F., & Miranda-Novales, M. G. (2012). Essential oils from aromatic herbs as antimicrobial agents. Current opinion in biotechnology, 23(2), 136-141.
[5] Burt, S. (2004). Essential oils: their antibacterial properties and potential applications in foods—a review. International journal of food microbiology, 94(3), 223-253.
[6] Friedman, M., Henika, P. R., & Mandrell, R. E. (2002). Bactericidal activities of plant essential oils and some of their isolated constituents against Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica. Journal of Food Protection®, 65(10), 1545-1560.
[7] Rajput, S. B., & Karuppayil, S. M. (2013). Small molecules inhibit growth, viability and ergosterol biosynthesis in Candida albicans. SpringerPlus, 2(1), 1.
[8] Wang, S. Y., Chen, P. F., & Chang, S. T. (2005). Antifungal activities of essential oils and their constituents from indigenous cinnamon (Cinnamomum osmophloeum) leaves against wood decay fungi. Bioresource technology, 96(7), 813-818.
[9] Meades, G., Henken, R. L., Waldrop, G. L., Rahman, M. M., Gilman, S. D., Kamatou, G. P., … & Gibbons, S. (2010). Constituents of cinnamon inhibit bacterial acetyl CoA carboxylase. Planta medica, 76(14), 1570-1575.
[10] Chang, S. T., Chen, P. F., & Chang, S. C. (2001). Antibacterial activity of leaf essential oils and their constituents from Cinnamomum osmophloeum. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 77(1), 123-127.
[11] Tampieri, M. P., Galuppi, R., Macchioni, F., Carelle, M. S., Falcioni, L., Cioni, P. L., & Morelli, I. (2005). The inhibition of Candida albicans by selected essential oils and their major components. Mycopathologia, 159(3), 339-345.
[12] Di Pasqua, R., Hoskins, N., Betts, G., & Mauriello, G. (2006). Changes in membrane fatty acids composition of microbial cells induced by addiction of thymol, carvacrol, limonene, cinnamaldehyde, and eugenol in the growing media. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(7), 2745-2749.
[13] Ka, H., Park, H. J., Jung, H. J., Choi, J. W., Cho, K. S., Ha, J., & Lee, K. T. (2003). Cinnamaldehyde induces apoptosis by ROS-mediated mitochondrial permeability transition in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. Cancer letters, 196(2), 143-152.
[14] Han, D. C., Lee, M. Y., Shin, K. D., Jeon, S. B., Kim, J. M., Son, K. H., … & Kwon, B. M. (2004). 2′-benzoyloxycinnamaldehyde induces apoptosis in human carcinoma via reactive oxygen species. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 279(8), 6911-6920.
[15] Wu, S. J., Ng, L. T., & Lin, C. C. (2005). Cinnamaldehyde-induced apoptosis in human PLC/PRF/5 cells through activation of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins and MAPK pathway. Life Sciences, 77(8), 938-951.
[16] Chew, E. H., Nagle, A. A., Zhang, Y., Scarmagnani, S., Palaniappan, P., Bradshaw, T. D., … & Westwell, A. D. (2010). Cinnamaldehydes inhibit thioredoxin reductase and induce Nrf2: potential candidates for cancer therapy and chemoprevention. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 48(1), 98-111.
[17] Reddy, A. M., Seo, J. H., Ryu, S. Y., Kim, Y. S., Kim, Y. S., Min, K. R., & Kim, Y. (2004). Cinnamaldehyde and 2-methoxycinnamaldehyde as NF-κB inhibitors from Cinnamomum cassia. Planta medica, 70(09), 823-827.
[18] Chao, L. K., Hua, K. F., Hsu, H. Y., Cheng, S. S., Lin, I. F., Chen, C. J., … & Chang, S. T. (2008). Cinnamaldehyde inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion from monocytes/macrophages through suppression of intracellular signaling. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46(1), 220-231.
[19] Singh, H. B., Srivastava, M., Singh, A. B., & Srivastava, A. K. (1995). Cinnamon bark oil, a potent fungitoxicant against fungi causing respiratory tract mycoses. Allergy, 50(12), 995-999.
[20] Babu, P. S., Prabuseenivasan, S., & Ignacimuthu, S. (2007). Cinnamaldehyde—a potential antidiabetic agent. Phytomedicine, 14(1), 15-22.
[21] Anand, P., Murali, K. Y., Tandon, V., Murthy, P. S., & Chandra, R. (2010). Insulinotropic effect of cinnamaldehyde on transcriptional regulation of pyruvate kinase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and GLUT4 translocation in experimental diabetic rats. Chemico-biological interactions, 186(1), 72-81.