Page 146 - Pharmacognosy-I (02-06-06-102)

Cinnamon Bark
Ceylon Cinnamon

Botanical origin : Cinnamon consists of the dried bark, freed from the

outer cork and the underlying parenchyma, of the Cinnamomum
zeylancicum family Lauraceae. It contains not less than 12 ml/kg of
essential oil.

Macroscopic characters :

The bark occurs in closely packed compound quills made up of
single or double quills.

-The outer surface :is yellowish-brown, smooth with fine pale wavy

longitudinal striations and occasional small scars marking the position of
leaves and axillary bunds.

-The inner surface : is slightly darker than the outer and finely

longitudinally striated.
The fracture : is short and splintery (or fibrous). The bark has a
fragrant, aromatic odour and sweet aromatic taste.

Microscopic characters :

It shows remains of cortex and may be represented by a few parenchyma
cells.
The pericycle, consists of an almost continuous tangential band of
sclereids, with small groups of long narrow fibres on the outer side. The
sclereids, are isodiametric or slightly tangentially elongated with
unequally thickened walls, the outer, less thickened than the others and
occasionally containing starch granules.

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