Here is an essay on ‘Cinnamon’ for class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Cinnamon’ especially written for school and college students.
Essay on Cinnamon
1. Essay on Cinnamon (As an Anti-Ageing):
Cinnamomum cassia bark (Chinese pharmaceutical name – Cinnamomi Cortex, CIN) significantly extended life span in C. elegans. CIN in both SQDB and HLXL formula extended life span via modulation of multiple longevity assurance genes, including genes involved in insulin signaling and stress response pathways. Cinnamon extract facilitates collagen biosynthesis.
Cinnamaldehyde significantly increased the phosphorylation levels of the IGF-I receptor and its downstream signaling molecules such as insulin receptor substrate-1 and Erk1/2 in an IGF-I- independent manner. These results suggested that cinnamon extract is useful in anti-ageing treatment of skin. Peng et al. (2010) observed that cinnamon bark proanthocyanidins exerted protective effects on glucose consumption impaired by methylglyoxal in 3T3-L1 fat cells.
2. Essay on Cinnamon (As an Anti-Carcinogenic):
Cinnamon extract inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor-induced endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro, sprouts formation from aortic ring ex-vivo, and tumor-induced blood vessel formation in mice. In vitro studies also showed that components of cinnamon control angiogenesis associated with the proliferation of cancer cells.
Wondrak et al. (2010) reported that cinnamon could potentially be useful in cancer prevention and/or treatment. Pharmacological experiments suggest that the cinnamon-derived dietary factor cinnamaldehyde activates the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant response in human epithelial colon cells and may therefore represent an experimental chemo-preventive dietary factor targeting colorectal carcinogenesis in humans.
3. Essay on Cinnamon (As an Anti-Diabetic Food):
Cinnamon has a long history as an anti-diabetic spice. The available in vitro and animal in vivo evidence suggests that cinnamon has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, cholesterol-lowering, and immunomodulatory effects. In addition, Sharma and Majumdar (1990) found cinnamon to inhibit b-galactocidase and a-glucocidase. In vitro studies have demonstrated that cinnamon may act as an insulin mimetic, to potentiate insulin activity or to stimulate cellular glucose metabolism.
However, Vanschoonbeek et al. (2006) found that cinnamon supplementation (1.5 g/d) did not improve whole-body insulin sensitivity or oral glucose tolerance. On reviewing the available studies on cinnamon, Kirkham et al. (2009) also could not draw definite conclusions regarding the use of cinnamon as an antidiabetic agent due to limited number of well controlled studies. But they confirmed its potential to reduce postprandial blood glucose levels.
Pham et al. (2007) and Mang et al. (2006) also reported that cinnamon has a possible modest effect in lowering plasma glucose levels in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. However, they suggested that clinicians should refrain themselves from recommending cinnamon supplementation in place of the proven standard of treatment.
But, animal studies have demonstrated strong dose dependent hypoglycemic properties of cinnamon. Supplementation with 2g of cinnamon daily for 12 weeks resulted not only in a significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), but also in waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) compared to baseline in the cinnamon group. The mean HbA1c was significantly decreased in the cinnamon group (8.22 per cent to 7.86 per cent) compared with placebo group (8.55 per cent to 8.68 per cent).
However, the changes were not significant when compared to placebo group. There were no significant differences in total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol either between or within the groups. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were also significantly reduced after 12 weeks in the cinnamon group compared with the placebo group.
Addition of cinnamon to the High fat/High fructose (HF/HF) diet increased the glucose infusion rates to those of the control rats. HF/HF + Cinnamon group (CN) prevented a reduction in pancreas weight induced by the HF/HF diet. This deleterious effect of mesenteric white fat accumulation observed in HF/HF rats was also alleviated when cinnamon was added to the diet thus suggesting that CN alters body composition in association with improved insulin sensitivity in animals fed a high fat/high fructose diet to induce insulin resistance.
The study by Kim and Chaung (2010) also showed that cinnamon extract significantly increases insulin sensitivity, reduces serum, and hepatic lipids, and improves hyperglyceamia and hyperlipidemia possibly by regulating the PPAR-medicated glucose and lipid metabolism. Cinnamon intake, either as a whole or as cinnamon extract, results in a statistically significant reduction in Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) (-0.49 ± 0.2 mmol/ L; n = 8, P =.025); and intake of cinnamon extract alone also lowered FBG (-0.48 mmol/ L ± 0.17; n = 5, P = .008).
4. Essay on Cinnamon (As an Anti-Inflammatory Foods):
Cinnamon bark is one of the most popular herbal ingredients in traditional oriental medicine and possesses diverse pharmacological activities including antibacterial, anti-viral and anti-cancer properties. Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh. (Lauraceae) is one of the indigenous tree species in Taiwan. This tree species has been of interest to researchers because the chemical constituents of its essential oil are similar to those of C. cassia. Presl bark oil, known as cinnamon oil is commonly used in foods and beverages.
Tung et al. (2008; 2010) and Chao et al, (2005) demonstrated that the leaf essential oils and their constituents of C. osmophloeum as well as the essential oil of C. osmophloeum twigs have excellent anti-inflammatory activities and thus have great potential as a source for health products in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
The polyphenols in cinnamon may be responsible for the anti-inflammatory action. The biologically active constituents of C. cassia extract were characterized as trans-cinnamaldehyde by spectral analysis. Suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression of cinnamaldehyde was revealed by Western blot analysis. As a naturally occurring therapeutic agent, trans-cinnamaldehyde could be useful for developing new types of NO inhibitors. According to Kim et al (2007) cinnamaldehyde plays a role in the regulation of age-related alterations in signal transduction pathways.
The anti-inflammatory property of cinnamon metabolite, sodium benzoate (NaB) has been demonstrated in microglia and astrocytes. It was found to inhibit LPS induced expression of NO synthase (iNOS), pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha and IL-1beta) and surface markers (CD11b, CD11c, and CD68) in mouse microglia. NaB exerts its anti-inflammatory effect through the inhibition of NF-kappa B. Depletion of intermediates of the mevalonate pathway is involved in the anti-inflammatory effect of NaB.
Oral administration of water extract of cinnamon (CWE) to mice significantly decreased the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6. CWE treatment in vitro decreased the mRNA expression of TNF-α. CWE blocked the lipo-polysaccharide-induced degradation of IκBα as well as the activation of JNK, p38 and ERK1 /2. Furthermore, the fraction of CWE containing highest level of total polyphenols was found to be responsible for the beneficial effect.
Oral treatment with cinnamon extract resulted in significant reduction in the expression of the mast cell proteases MCP6 and MC-CPA in vitro and in vivo.
5. Essay on Cinnamon (As an Antimicrobial Foods):
The essential oil of cinnamon has antimicrobial properties. Cinnamon bark is also used extensively as an antimicrobial material and thus can be used as food preservative. Both cinnamaldehyde and cinnamon oil vapors are potent anti-fungal compounds. Preliminary human studies confirmed this effect in a clinical trial with AIDS patients suffering from oral Candida (thrush) infections that improved with topical application of cinnamon oil. Antibacterial actions have also been demonstrated for cinnamon.
Meades et al. (2010) studied the action of cinnamon oil, its major component, trans-cinnamaldehyde, and an analogue, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-trans- cinnamaldehyde against bacterial acetyl-CoA carboxylase in an attempt to elucidate and confirm the mechanism of action.
It was observed that the carboxyltransferase component of E. Coli, acetyl-CoA carboxylase was inhibited, but the activity of the biotin carboxylase component was not affected. The inhibition patterns indicated that these products bound to the biotin binding site of carboxyltransferase with Trans-cinnamaldehyde.
Dugoua et al (2007) on the basis of review of available literature, found good scientific evidence that some species of cinnamon are not effective at eradicating H. pylori infection. Common cinnamon showed weak to very weak evidence of efficacy in treating oral candidiasis in HIV patients and chronic salmonellosis.
In a 2000 study published in The Indian Journal of Medical Research, it was shown that 16 of the 69 plant species screened were effective against HIV-1 and 4 were against both HIV-1 and HIV-2. Cinnamomum cassia (bark) and Cardiospermum helicacabum (shoot + fruit) were the most effective extracts against HIV-1 and HIV-2 respectively.
6. Essay on Cinnamon (As an Anti-Ulcerogenic Foods):
Cinnamon is used traditionally in Indian System of Medicine as carminative, anthelmintic, diuretic, and used in colic, dyspepsia, and diarrhea. Eswaran et al. (2010) found a significant reduction in lesion index in ulcer-induced animals treated with cinnamon extract at different doses when compared with ulcerated rats in all models. In cinnamon fed rats, a significant decrease in the level of H(+)K(+)ATPase, volume of gastric juice, and acid output; and a significant increase in the gastric wall mucus level and pH could be seen probably due to its free radical scavenging activity.
Tankam et al (2013) reported that cinnamon powder significantly protected mice against ulceration by stress, ethanol, HCl and oral administration of aspirin but not against ulceration by subcutaneous administration of aspirin or indomethacin or oral administration of indomethacin.