Study on the Production and Composition of Essential Oil from Cinnamomum cassia Bark in Yen Bai Province of Vietnam

Yen Bai province has 50,000 hectares under cinnamon cultivation, which is the largest of cultivation area in Vietnam. Cinnamon essential oil is mainly extracted from the stem bark and leaves of Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl. The essential oil yield varies depending on species and extraction methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of critical parameters including extraction time, average particle size and material mass to water volume ratio on the yield of essential oil and to evaluate its chemical constituents. The stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia was sourced from Yen Bai province, Vietnam. The powdered stem bark (500 g) was extracted with 2.5 L of distilled water by hydro-distillation for 180 minutes. The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained was determined by Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Morphological changes to the cinnamon bark powder before and after hydro-distillation was assessed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Essential oil (14.95 mL) was obtained corresponding to a percentage yield of 3.38%. The GC-MS analysis identified 11 bioactive compounds in the cinnamon essential oil. Cinnamaldehyde was the major compound in cinnamon essential oil constituting about 93.3% of the total oil composition. Generally, cinnamon from Yen Bai province in Vietnam provides a high value essential oil with a high percentage of cinnamaldehyde, and a potential for many applications.