The production and conservation of Cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of the oldest herbal medicine known, belonging to the Lauraceae family. Its barks and leaves are widely used as spice and flavoring agent in foods and for various applications in medicine. Cinnamon is often used for medicinal purposes due to its unique properties. The bark yields an essential oil containing cinnamaldehyde and eugenol. Several biological activities such as antitumor, antifungal, cytotoxic and antimutagenic activities has been attributed to these compounds. Over-harvesting the bark of this plant provides necessary conditions for the extinction of this plant. Therefore, improvement of the cultivation methods of this plant has particular importance.