PHCOG J ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Chemoprofile of tvakpatra; leaves of

Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl
Koppala Narayana Sunil Kumar,1* Billadi Sangeetha,1 Maheshwari Rajalekshmi,1 Basavaiah Ravishankar,1
Raghuveera Muralidhar2 and Betikeri Yashovarma3
1
SDM Centre for Research in Ayurveda and Allied Sciences, Laxminarayana Nagar, Kuthpady, Udupi, INDIA 574 118
2
SDM Ayurveda Pharmacy, Laxminarayana Nagar, Kuthpady, Udupi, INDIA 574 118
3
SDM College (Autonomous), Belthangady Tq., Ujire, Dakshina Kannada, INDIA 574 240

Submission Date: 10-8-2012; Review completed: 17-8-2012

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Substitution of Cinnamomum tamala (tamalapatra) with similar looking leaves of other Cinnamomum
species is frequent among the people who use this spice in their food. On account of characteristic flavor, leaves
of Cinnamomum verum are in use as spice among the indigenous people living throughout Western Ghats. To
differentiate and to establish the identity of any article of plant origin, a thorough chemical fingerprint profile is
vital. This investigation is an attempt to fingerprint the chemical properties and composition of a Cinnamon derived
leaf spice – C. verum. Methods: Leaves from plants of C. verum growing wildly in South Canara district were
collected and subjected to physico-chemical, HPTLC and GC-MS analysis. Results: Physico-chemical standards,
HPTLC fingerprint and essential oil composition of wild C. verum used as spice were derived. While physico-
chemical constants will serve the purpose of standardisation, volatile oil composition will be a diagnostic test for the
identification and differentiation of leaves of C. verum from C. tamala. Conclusion: Chemical fingerprint profile of
C. verum has been established for the identification and differentiation of this species from tamalapatra.

Keywords: C. zeylanicum, GC-MS, HPTLC, spice, tamalapatra.

INTRODUCTION each other. Use of leaves of different species of Cinna-

Substitution is a major concern in establishing the identity
and quality of many herbal materials.[1] Usage of locally
available plants as substitutes to their official source is a
practice ubiquitous among the people who use plants for
food and medicine. Many such herbs, even if inferior in
quality, are picked up by indigenous people for day to day
usage as drugs or spice. Cinnamomum is a genus of the fam-
ily Lauraceae having many examples related to the issue
of adulteration/substitution with closely knit species.[2]
The similarity in macro-microscopical and flavor char-
acteristics make different parts of members of genus
­Cinnamomum more prone to issues of substitution to
*Corresponding author.
SDM Centre for Research in Ayurveda and Allied Sciences
Laxminarayana Nagar, Kuthpady, Udupi, INDIA 574 118
Phone: +91-820-2533971
E-mail: sunilkumarnarayanan@gmail.com
DOI: 10.5530/pj.2012.34.5
26
momum as a substitute to bay leaves or tamalapatra is a fact
reported earlier,[3,4] similarly bark of different species of
Cinnamomum are used as Cinnamon of commerce. Bark of
C. verum (Syn. C. zeylanicum) – the Ceylon cinnamon or tvak
in Ayurveda is an important medicinal drug as well as a spice
used to flavor edibles throughout the world. In Ayurvedic
therapeutics the botanical source of tvak is equated to
bark of C. verum, but tvakpatra to leaf of C. tamala. The
flavor characteristics of leaves of C. verum resemble to that
of bark of C. verum and in turn to leaf of C. tamala. Survey
of the local food traditions of South Canara district of
Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala revealed that
leaves of C. verum are used widely to spice up different
dishes. On account of similarity in flavor as well as easy
availability, indigenous people use leaf of C. verum as an
inexpensive substitute for commercial Cinnamon derived
spices. As tvak patra or tamalapatra is an important com-
modity in Ayurvedic medicine,[5] it was thought worth to
undertake this investigation on the closely allied species.
This study will serve as a preliminary step in the explora-
tion of C. verum as a substitute for tvakpatra.
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 Koppala Narayana Sunil Kumar, et al.: Chemoprofile of tvakpatra; leaves of Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl

MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS

Plant materials Results obtained for the physico-chemical tests are

tabulated in Table 1. Rf values of the spots and their
Fresh flowering twigs of Cinnamomum verum were collected colour on TLC of n-hexane extract is tabulated in
from plants growing wild in Kasaragod district and identi- Table 2. TLC photodocumentation of n-hexane extract
fied using literature available in different floras.[6,7] Leaves is shown in ­ Figure 1. HPTLC Densitometric scan
from botanically identified twigs were harvested and shade of n-hexane extract of C. verum at UV 254, 366 nm,
dried. Air dried leaves were powdered and stored in air under white light, and after derivatisation with vanillin-
tight containers for further chemical examination. sulphuric acid at 620 nm are shown in Figure 2. The
GLC chromatogram for the essential oil of C. verum
Instrumentation and techniques
is presented in Figure 3. Compounds detected by the
Physico-chemical properties were determined as per the GC-MS of the essential oil C. verum, the respective RT
WHO guidelines. Volatile oil of the sample of C. verum values and the percentages of the compounds detected
were distilled using Clavenger’s apparatus.[8] TLC charac- are tabulated in Table 3.
terization of the n-hexane extract was done as per stan-
dard procedure.[9] Ten and twenty µl of the extracts were DISCUSSION
applied on a precoated silica gel F254 aluminum plates to
a band width of 8 mm using Linomat 5 TLC applicator. Due to wild occurrence in Western Ghats, morpho-
The plate was developed in toluene: ethyl acetate (7:1) logical similarity, and characteristic fragrance, leaves of
and the developed plates were visualized and scanned C. verum has been used commonly by the people for
under UV 254, 366, under white light and after derivati- flavouring various edibles. With this background infor-
sation in vanillin-sulphuric acid spray reagent at 620 nm. mation it was decided to derive chemical fingerprint to
Rf, colour of the spots, densitometric scan and superim-
posability of densitogram were recorded.[10] GC-MS of
essential oil of C. verum was carried out using Shimadzu Table 1.  Physico-chemical parameters
gas chromatograph with a SE-30 10% Chromosorb-W Cinnamomum verum.
packed stainless steel column (2 m × 2 mm). Oven pro- Parameters Value
gramme: 60°C (5 min), 60°–260°C (5°C/min), 260°C Loss on drying at 105°C % w/w 8.21
(10 min); ­carrier gas – nitrogen, flow rate 40 ml/min; pH of water soluble extractive 6.27
Total ash % w/w 4.94
injector temperature 240°C; detector temperature 240°C.
Acid insoluble ash % w/w 0.360
Individual components were identified by database of n-Hexane soluble extractive 13.96
mass spectra matching with literature available in the Alcohol soluble extractive % w/w 9.96
digital libraries like NIST and WILEY by comparison of Water soluble extractive % w/w 7.45
their RT ­values. Swelling factor ml 13

Table 2.  Rf value of n-hexane extract of Cinnamomum verum 20 µl.

At UV 254 nm At UV 366 nm Under White light Post-derivatisation
0.04 Green 0.04 F violet – –
– – 0.13 Yellow 0.13 Brown
0.19 Green 0.19 F blue – –
– 0.21 F brown – 0.21 Brown
0.32 Green – – –
– – – 0.40 Purple
0.46 Green 0.46 F pInk 0.46 Green 0.46 Violet
– 0.52 F blue – –
0.55 Green 0.55 F pink 0.55 Yellow 0.55 Blue
– – – –
0.61 D green 0.61 F pink 0.61 Green 0.61 Green
0.70 D Green – – –
0.75 Green – – 0.75 Pink
0.90 Green 0.90 F blue – 0.90 L green
D – dark; F – fluorescent; L – light

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 Koppala Narayana Sunil Kumar, et al.: Chemoprofile of tvakpatra; leaves of Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl

Figure 1.  TLC photodocumentation of n-hexane extract of Cinnamomum verum.

Figure 2.  HPTLC Densitometric scan of n-hexane extract of Cinnamomum verum.

establish the identity of this less known spice. Physico-

chemical, HPTLC and GCMS fingerprint was obtained
for the leaf in the present study.

Results obtained for physico-chemical parameters

such as loss on drying, pH of water soluble extrac-
tive, total ash, acid insoluble ash, n-hexane soluble
extractive, alcohol soluble extractive, water soluble
extractive and swelling factor recorded can be used as
Figure 3.  GLC chromatogram for the essential oil of Cinnamo- standardisation parameter for routine identification of
mum verum. C. verum leaves.

28 Phcog J | Dec 2012 | Vol 4 | Issue 34

 Koppala Narayana Sunil Kumar, et al.: Chemoprofile of tvakpatra; leaves of Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl

Table 3.  Compounds detected by GC-MS of leaf essential oil from Cinnamomum sp.
Wild C. verum
Sl No. Compounds RT Area % C. verum10 C. tamala12-14
1 α-Pinene 9.167 0.62 + +
2 Camphene 9.973 0.29 + +
3 Benzaldehyde 10.899 0.13 + +
4 β-Pinene 11.108 0.31 + +
5 α-phellandrene 12.165 0.18 + –
6 Δ3-Carene 12.583 0.09 + –
7 p-Cymene 13. 014 0.13 + +
8 Limonene 13.158 0.22 + +
9 β-Phellandrene 13.365 0.43 + –
10 Linalool 16.242 5.83 + +
11 γ -Terpinene 16.242 0.08 + –
12 α-Terpinene 20.617 0.42 + –
13 Cinnamaldehyde 21.316 0.88 + +
14 Eugenol 25.574 81.60 + +
15 α-Copaene 29.166 0.10 + –
16 β-Caryophyllene 29.500 4.50 + –
17 Cinnamyl alcohol 31.654 0.29 + –
18 α-Humulene 32.747 0.73 + –
19 Germacrene D 33.234 0.08 – –
20 γ -Elemene 34.258 0.08 – –
21 δ-Cadinene 34.875 0.19 + –
22 Spathulenol 35.529 0.17 + –
23 Caryophyllene oxide 38.483 0.70 + –
24 Benzyl benzoate 38.815 1.95 + +

HPTLC fingerprinting revealed the presence of various
phytoconstituents with their respective Rf values. The
photo documentation of the plates showed numerous
bands under UV 254, 366, white light, and after derivati-
sation with vanillin sulphuric acid reagent. On photo doc-
umentation under 254 nm there were 9 spots (Figure 1.1),
8 spots under 366 nm (Figure 1.2), 4 spots under white
light (Figure 1.3) and 8 spots after derivatisation with van-
illin sulphuric acid (Figure 1.4). Densitometric scan at 254
nm revealed 13 peaks corresponding to 13 compounds in
the n-hexane extract in the solvent system used for the sep-
aration, compounds with Rf 0.71 (36.5%), 0.91(17.32%)
were major ones (Figure 2.1). Densitometric scan at
366 nm showed 13 peaks, compounds with Rf 0.45
(24.19%), 0.65 (28.00%) were major ones (Figure 2.2).
Densitometric scan at 540 nm showed 4 peaks, compounds
with Rf 0.62 (69.44%), 0.46 (18.96%) were major ones
(Figure 2.3) and densitometric scan at 620 nm showed 11,
compounds with 0.42 (23.57%), 0.58 (23.00%) were the
major peaks (Figure 2.4) detected.
GC-MS of volatile oil from the leaves of C. verum
revealed 24 volatile constituents (Figure 3 and Table 3).
The major compounds detected were eugenol (81.60%),
linalool (5.83%), β-caryophyllene (4.50%) and benzyl
benzoate (1.95%). Present compositional analysis of the
essential oil revealed all constituents reported from leaves
of C. verum by earlier workers[11] other than γ-elemene
and germacrene D. γ-Elemene was reported from spe-
cies of Cinnamomum namely C. cordatum, C. porrectum,
C. burmanii and C. cassia. Germacrene D was reported from
C. angustifolium and C. verum (fruit and flower).[12] Presence
of γ-elemene and germacrene D is the first time report
from the leaves of C. verum growing wild.
Compounds such as eugenol, linalool, α-pinene,
camphene, β-pinene, benzaldehyde, myrcene, limo-
nene, p-cymene, benzyl acetate, α-terpineol, cin-
namaldehyde, geraniol, linalool acetate and benzyl
cinnamate were reported from the volatile oil of leaves of
C. tamala by other workers earlier.[13-15] From the pres-
ent study, occurrence of 10 common compounds
such as α-pinene, camphene, benzaldehyde, β-pinene,
p-cymene, limonene, linalool, cinnamaldehyde, euge-
nol and benzyl benzoate in both C. tamala and C. verum
were confirmed. Exhaustive pharmacological evalua-
tion might be conclusive to designate leaves of C. verum
as a substitute or as an adulterant for C. tamala. The
present study has concluded chemical identity tests for
the detection of this species.

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 Koppala Narayana Sunil Kumar, et al.: Chemoprofile of tvakpatra; leaves of Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Authors are highly grateful to Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade,
revered President of SDM Educational Society for the
guidance and support. Help rendered by Dr. Anamik Shah
and Pankaj Kachhadia, Saurashtra University, Rajkot,
towards GC-MS analysis is also gratefully acknowledged.
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