Comparative analysis of cytotoxic effect of aqueous cinnamon extract from Cinnamomum zeylanicum bark with commercial cinnamaldehyde on various cell lines

A thorough comparative analysis of cytotoxic effect of an aqueous cinnamon extract (ACE) from the bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum L. (Lauraceae) with that of commercially available cinnamaldehyde was performed on various human as well as mouse cell lines and primary cells. The aqueous cinnamon extract (ACE) proved to be more cytotoxic to cancerous cells at concentrations just above 0.16 mg/mL (containing 1.28 mu M cinnamaldehyde) around which the commercial cinnamaldehyde (1.6 mu M) had no cytotoxic effect. At a critical concentration of 1.28mg/mL (containing 10.24 mu M cinnamaldehyde), ACE treatment resulted in 35-85% growth inhibition of the majority of the cancerous cells, whereas at a similar concentration (10 mu M) commercial cinnamaldehyde treatment resulted in 30% growth inhibition of only SK-N-MC cells with no effect on other cell lines. These results suggest that ACE had a significant inhibitory effect on the majority of cancer cells and thus may prove to be a chemotherapeutic agent.