NMR study of Cinnamon extract

Cinnamon is a worldwide used spice, providing flavor and aroma to various dishes. Its use goes beyond cooking, as it is used as a functional food for different purposes, because it has medicinal and thermogenic properties, which are indicated for the treatment of metabolic syndromes (MS) and chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes. The present study aimed to analyze the chemical structure of cinnamon extracts by percolation extraction, using different solvents. Carbon-13 (13C) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was chosen for characterization, due to the fact that it is an absolute method that allows the identification and quantification of chemical substances. Cinnamon sticks were ground in a blender, after which, 1g of this powder was placed in each of the 4 Schott bottles containing 40 ml of different classes of chlorinated and non-chlorinated solvents such as ethanol and hexane. Solvent extraction occurred by simple distillation. The resulting extract was analyzed by 1 H and 13CNMR in solution. The spectrum obtained after extraction with the different solvents showed that: ethanol, hexane and chlorinated solvents extracted basically the same classes of compounds. All the extracts had cinnamaldehyde. Furthermore, by assessing the carbon-13 spectrum in detail, it was observed the presence of polyphenols such as poly (methyl hydroxychalcone) and flavonoids.