The bark and leaf essential oils of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum Presl, syn. C. zeylanicum Bl.) grown at IAPAR (Experimental Station of Morretes) were analysed by capillary GC and GC-MS. The barks and leaves were collected from a group of 12 trees submitted to single organic manuring (MO) or conjugated with chemical fertilization (C). Samples from the individual trees were compared by headspace analysis, gathered and subjected to steam distillation. The average yields of the essential oils were 0.2% (barks) and 2.0% (leaves). The cinnamaldehyde content of the bark essential oils was 54.7% (MO) and 58.4% (C). The eugenol content of the leaf essential oils was 94.1% (5 trees - MO) and 95.1% (5 trees - C). However the leaf essential oil compositions of a single tree from each treatment were different from the other trees showing eugenol contents of 58.7% (MO) and 55.1% (C), and a high safrol amount (29.6% and 39.5%, respectively). No difference was observed in the composition or contents of individual components as a consequence of fertilization.
Cinnamomum verum; cinnamon; essential oils; gas chromatography; chemical composition; headspace
