Ethnobotanical Leaflets 12: 150-155. 2008. Ethnobotanical Uses of Cinnamomum
Species, Tamil Muthiah Maridass and Bonfilius Victor Animal Health Research Unit St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous) Palayamkottai-627002, Tamil
Nadu, India Email: orchideyadass@yahoo.com Issued 8 March 2008 Abstract In the
present paper, six Cinnamomum
species are described that are used as spices and medicines by the Kanis community of Karaiyar
region, Key
words: Kanis, Ethnobotany,
Karaiyar, Cinnamomum species,
Introduction Spices are defined by the US Food
and Drug Administration as “aromatic vegetable substances, in the whole,
broken, or ground form, whose significant function in food is seasoning
rather than nutrition. They are true to name, and from them no portion of any
volatile oil or other flavoring principle has been removed” (Lampe, 2003). By this definition,
onions, garlic, and celery, even in the dried form, and seeds such as poppy
and sesame seeds are typically regarded as foods, not spices. Some spices,
such as paprika, turmeric, and saffron are used for both coloring and flavor
and when used as ingredients in foods are designated as “spice and coloring.”
Most spices are derived from bark (eg, cinnamon),
fruit (eg, red and black pepper), and seed (eg, nutmeg)
(Lampe, 2003). Cinnamon is one of the most popular
spices used by humankind, as a glance through any cookbook will indicate.
From breakfast rolls to spiced cookies, pudding and pies to quick breads and
chutneys, cinnamon finds its way into recipes for standard family fare as
well as special treats. Cinnamon is the second most important spice (next to
black pepper) sold in The
genus Cinnamomum comprises several
hundred species, which occur in Methodology The Kanis live
in the forests of the Thiruvananthapuram district
of Kerala in Results and Discussion All the Cinnamomum species have multiple
uses, and especially for the treatment of diseases. The treatment of five types of
diseases by Cinnamomum species is reported in this paper.
Stomach pain, for example, was reported to be alleviated by C. walaiwarense,
C. trivancoricum
and C. malabatrum.
Similarly, a single plant each of C. riparium, C. sulphuratum, C. filipedicellatum
and C. wightii
was used for treating wounds, fever, intestinal worms, headaches and
menstrual problems (Plate 3). Essential
oils from Cinnamomum species were isolated and screened for antimicrobial and
anti-inflammatory activities in our laboratory. Future studies will focus on other types of bioassays,
as this process is usually considered as the first step in the discovery of
new drugs. AcknowledgementsWe wish to thank the
Department of Science and Technology, SERC- Fast Track Scheme (Sanctioned
Ref.No.70/2005), References The Wealth of Lampe,
J. W. 2003. Spicing up
a vegetarian diet: chemopreventive effects of phytochemicals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,78: 579S–83S. |