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• Coumarins established as hepatotoxic and carcinogenic compounds. • HPLC-DAD modifications for detecting coumarin and cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon. • Reverse-phase HPLC quantifies coumarins and cinnamaldehyde at lower levels. • Method distinguishes between cassia and ceylon cinnamon quality. Cinnamon is a popular spice valued for its culinary and medicinal benefits, containing the bioactive compounds coumarin and cinnamaldehyde. These constituents are present in varying proportions depending on cinnamon type: cinnamaldehyde accounts for 66–76% % of volatile oils, driving flavor and aroma, while coumarin is found at <0.004% in Ceylon cinnamon but can reach up to 1% in Cassia cinnamon. While coumarin has antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, its potential hepatotoxicity and carcinogenicity have led agencies such as the EFSA to set strict daily intake limits (≤0.1 mg/kg body weight). Cinnamaldehyde is susceptible to degradation under poor storage, resulting in harmful byproducts. In this study, we developed and validated a sensitive HPLC-DAD method to detect and quantify coumarin and cinnamaldehyde in local cinnamon samples. Key variables assessed included the limits of detection (LOD: 0.562 μg/kg for coumarin and 0.93 μg/kg for cinnamaldehyde), limits of quantification (LOQ: 1.875 μg/kg and 3.102 μg/kg, respectively), recovery rates (92–104%), and standard uncertainties (3.75–12.94% at 5–10 ppb). Comparative analysis with existing HPLC and LC-MS/MS methods demonstrated greater adaptability, sensitivity, and reproducibility in our protocol. These results establish a reliable tool for routine quality control, allowing regulatory agencies and the food industry to differentiate between Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon and ensure consumer safety by monitoring coumarin content. Practical implications include enhanced ability to enforce safety regulations, authenticate cinnamon products, and prevent excessive coumarin exposure.
Tamim et al. (Thu,) studied this question.