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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » Natural Products Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #327240
Research Project: Discovery and Development of Natural Products for Pharmaceutical and Agrochemical Applications II

Location: Natural Products Utilization Research

Title: Authentication of true cinnamon (Cinnamon verum) utilising direct analysis in real time (DART)-QWToF-MS

Author
item AVULA, BHARATHI - University Of Mississippi
item SMILLIE, TROY - University Of Mississippi
item WANG, YAN-HONG - University Of Mississippi
item ZWEIGENBAUM, JERRY - Agilent Technologies, Inc
item KHAN, IKHLAS - University Of Mississippi

Submitted to: Journal of Food Additives & Contaminants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/25/2014
Publication Date: 11/24/2014
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62461
Citation: Avula, B., Smillie, T.J., Wang, Y., Zweigenbaum, J., Khan, I.A. 2014. Authentication of true cinnamon (Cinnamon verum) utilising direct analysis in real time (DART)-QWToF-MS. Journal of Food Additives & Contaminants. 32:1:1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2014.981763.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2014.981763

Interpretive Summary: Cinnamon is a common spice used around the world for several centuries and with many uses found in the cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals. Many different species of plants are commonly referred to as “cinnamon”. “True cinnamon” refers to the dried inner bark of Cinnamomum verum. Other “cinnamon” species, C. cassia (Chinese cassia), C. loureiroi Nees (Saigon cassia), and C. burmannii (Nees & T. Nees) Blume (Indonesian cassia), commonly known as cassia, are also marketed as cinnamon. Due to prevalence of various types of “cinnamons” on the market, there is a need to develop a rapid technique that can readily differentiate between true cinnamon (C. verum) and other commonly marketed species. In the present study, coumarin and other marker compounds indicative of “cinnamon” were analyzed using DART-QToF-MS in various samples of cinnamon. Through the use of this newly developed DART-QToF-MS with PCA analysis was possible to rapidly analyze multiple authenticated and commercial samples of cinnamon.

Technical Abstract: The use of cinnamon as a spice and 'avouring agent is widespread throughout the world. Many different species of plants are commonly referred to as ‘cinnamon’. ‘True cinnamon’ refers to the dried inner bark of Cinnamomum verum J. S. Presl (syn. C zeylanicum) (Lauraceae). Other ‘cinnamon’ species, C. cassia (Nees & T. Nees) J. Presl (syn. C. aromaticum Nees) (Chinese cassia), C. loureiroi Nees (Saigon cassia), and C. burmannii (Nees & T. Nees) Blume (Indonesian cassia), commonly known as cassia, are also marketed as cinnamon. Since there is a prevalence of these various types of ‘cinnamons’ on the market, there is a need to develop a rapid technique that can readily differentiate between true cinnamon (C. verum) and other commonly marketed species. In the present study, coumarin and other marker compounds indicative of ‘cinnamon’ were analysed using DART-QToF-MS in various samples of cinnamon. This method involved the use of [M + H]+ ions in positive mode in addition to principal component analysis (PCA) using Mass Pro'ler Professional software to visualise several samples for quality and to discriminate ‘true cinnamon’ from other Cinnamomum species using the accurate mass capabilities of QToF-MS.