Volatiles from Cinnamomum cassia buds

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Natural Products

Background:

• The chemical composition of Cinnamomum cassia leaf and stem bark essential oils is well-documented.
• The volatilome of C. cassia buds, a recent market addition, remains largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the volatile compounds (volatilome) of C. cassia buds.
• To identify key aroma contributors and assess their sensory impact.
• To evaluate the potential of C. cassia buds as a source for slow-release cinnamaldehyde.

Main Methods:

• Soxhlet extraction of commercial C. cassia bud samples.
• Fractionation using silica gel chromatography.
• Analysis by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) for semi-quantification.
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for compound identification.
• Gas chromatography-FID/olfactometry (GC-O) for sensory evaluation.
• Chemical derivatization (hydrogen sulphite addition) to remove aldehydes for improved trace compound analysis.

Main Results:

• Cinnamaldehyde was identified as the most abundant compound (up to 40 mg/g).
• A total of 36 compounds were identified and 30 semi-quantified, predominantly phenylpropanoids and terpenoids.
• Cinnamaldehyde exhibited the highest flavour dilution factor (316), followed by 2-phenylethanol and cinnamyl alcohol.
• C. cassia buds contain high cinnamaldehyde concentrations with low coumarin levels (<0.48 mg/g).

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first GC-olfactometry data for a Cinnamomum plant part.
• C. cassia buds serve as a significant source of cinnamaldehyde.
• The lignified structure of the buds suggests potential for slow-release applications of cinnamaldehyde.