Chemical Properties
The volatile oil is obtained by steam distillation from the leaves and twigs of the true cinnamon shrub C. zeylanicus
Nees. The commercial oils, according to the geographical areas, are designated as either Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Ceylon or Cinnamon
Leaf Oil Seychelles, and the two types differ in physical and chemical properties. The leaf oil has a quite different aromatic character
as compared to bark essential oil. It has a spicy cinnamon, clove-like odor and taste.
Chemical Properties
Cinnamon leaf oil is produced by steam distillation of the leaves of the
cinnamon tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume (C. verum J.S. Presl).The
main producer is Sri Lanka, with ～200 t oil annually. Cinnamon leaf oil
is a reddish-brown to dark brown liquid with a characteristic spicy odor,
reminiscent of clove buds.
Specifications of cinnamon leaf oil from Sri Lanka are d
2020 1.037–1.053; n
20D 1.5270–1.5400; α
20D ?2.5 ° to +2 °; solubility: 1 vol in 2 vol of 70% aqueous
ethanol at 20℃; phenol content: 75–85%.
Themain component of cinnamon leaf oil is eugenol (70–83%).
The oil is used as such in spicy oriental perfumes, for flavoring sweets and
alcoholic beverages or as a source of high-grade eugenol.
Physical properties
The oil is a light- to dark-brown liquid. It is soluble in most fixed oils and propylene glycol. It is
soluble with cloudiness, in mineral oil, but it is insoluble in glycerin.
