Analysis of coumarin and other compounds in commercially available cinnamon and cinnamon supplements utilizing quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Cinnamon is an important flavoring agent utilized worldwide. The dried inner bark of Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon cinnamon) is referred to as “true” cinnamon whereas the barks of C. cassia (Chinese cassia), C. burmannii (Indonesian cassia), and C. loureiroi (Saigon cassia) (collectively known as cassia cinnamon) are also marketed as cinnamon. Because of its lower cost, Cassia cinnamon and, in particular, Indonesian cassia has replaced Ceylon cinnamon as the species most widely used in the food and beverage industry in the United States, Canada, and Europe.¹ Cassia cinnamon has been shown to contain high levels of the naturally occurring compound coumarin, which can be hepatotoxic to individuals sensitive to it. Because of this, the European Union has set regulatory limits on the amount of coumarin allowed in cinnamon containing foods. A number of clinical trials have shown cassia cinnamon to have modest antidiabetic activity. As a result, there are currently many dietary supplements on the market containing both true and cassia cinnamon. Supplement labels contain suggested usage levels from 1 gram up to 4 grams of cinnamon per day. The amounts of coumarin and other marker compounds in cinnamon bark, powder, foods, and supplements have previously been analyzed with a validated UPLC-UV/MS method.¹ We are in the process of developing an automated high throughput NMR method to quantitate coumarin and other key components in cinnamon containing products. Results with various commercial cinnamon samples and supplements will be presented.

¹Wang YH, Avula B, Nanayakkara NP, Zhao J, Khan IA, J. Agric. Food. Chem. 2013; 61, 4470 – 4476