The antihyperglycemic potential of indigenous cinnamon

Indigenous cinnamon (Cinnamomum osmophloeum), an evergreen tree native to Taiwan, can be used to treat hyperglycemia without the adverse effect of weight gain, according to scientists from National Taiwan University. Their study, which was published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, investigated the ability of twig extracts from C. osmophloeum (CoTE) to treat hyperglycemia using a rat model.

• C. osmophloeum is known to be rich in A-type proanthocyanidins. In particular, its twig extracts possess a?glucosidase and a?amylase inhibitory properties based on in vitro studies.
• Researchers assigned hyperglycemic rats into three treatments, namely: high-dosage CoTE (HCO, 150 mg/kg), low-dosage CoTE (LCO, 30 mg/kg), and positive control (pioglitazone, 30 mg/kg).
• Rats in the HCO group exhibited improved glucose tolerance in an oral glucose test after a month of treatment, which was partly due to inhibited intestinal disaccharides, amylase, and lipase.
• Both HCO and LCO groups showed a decrease in visceral fats and posted a lower atherogenic index compared to that of the positive control. However, their low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, food intake, feed efficiency, and biochemical parameters were unchanged, compared to other groups.
• The HCO group was noted to have decreased weight gain, while the LCO group has lower serum liptin levels.

The findings reveal that twig extracts from C. osmophloeum have the potential to be used to treat hyperglycemia.

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Journal Reference:

Lin GM, Hsu CY, Chang ST. ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC ACTIVITIES OF TWIG EXTRACT OF INDIGENOUS CINNAMON (CINNAMOMUM OSMOPHLOEUM) ON HIGH-FAT DIET AND STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED HYPERGLYCEMIC RATS. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 26 July 2018;98(14). DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.9286