Chemical comparison of eleven cinnamon aromatic water samples from Fars (Iran) local markets with a standard sample

Current study aimed to chemically assess the volatile constituents of eleven commercial cinnamon hydrosols purchased from Fars province (Iran) local markets in comparison to a standard sample. Via a liquid extractor, the volatile oil fractions of the samples and the standard hydrosol, yielded from essential oil extraction of an authenticated cinnamon bark sample, were recovered. Gas chromatography/ flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and subsequently GC/MS (GC/mass spectroscopy) were employed to assess and identify the chemical compositions of the prepared samples. The analysis resulted in a total of 25 components. Cinnamaldehyde was found as the main constituent in ten populations (S2-S11), as well as in the standard sample (63.04-91.61%). Considerable amounts of dibutyl phthalate, as a common plasticizer, were also detected in all samples. This is the first report of analysis and identification of volatile constituents in cinnamon hydrosol, a common medicinal beverage. Although high amount of cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon hydrosol can introduce this tasty medicinal beverage for further studies similar to the respective botanical part or various usual extracts, more comprehensive monitoring is to be performed on safety, purity, and quality of such preparations.