Contains primarily essential oils (1.2–4%), consisting of phenylpropanoids (cinnamaldehyde 55–75%, eugenol 1–10%, cinnamyl acetate 1–5%), sesquiterpenes (β-caryophyllene 1–4%), and monoterpenes (linalool 1–3%, cineole 1–2%). It also contains oligomeric proanthocyanidins, cinnamic acid, and polysaccharides (starch, arabinoxylans, glucans).
Used as an anti-diarrheal in mild diarrhea and as a carminative for spasmodic gastrointestinal complaints including bloating and flatulence. It is also widely used as a spice.
This is the dried bark of young branches, stripped of the outer cork and cortical parenchyma. It is about 0.2–0.8 mm thick and rolled up in single or double quills. The outside is smooth and yellowish-brown; the inside is darker and longitudinally striated. The fracture is short and fibrous. It has a characteristic aroma.
The drug is listed in the pharmacopoeia.
In pulverized drug under the microscope we can see:
Rounded sclereids with slightly thickened, pitted walls
