Cinnamon products as a possible etiologic factor in orofacial granulomatosis.
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OBJECTIVES: It has been reported that clinical changes due to hypersensitivity reactions to various foods, preservatives, and oral hygiene products may be consistent with the characteristic signs of orofacial granulomatosis (OFG). The objective of this study was to examine 37 well-documented cases of cinnamon-induced contact stomatitis for clinical and histological features consistent with a diagnosis of OFG. STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed the records of the 37 cases to screen them for the clinical and histopathologic features of OFG. RESULTS: Twelve patients showed clinical characteristics of OFG. The most commonly affected site was the gingiva. Focal non-caseating, epitheloid granulomas were observed in four histologic specimens. Multinucleated giant cells were observed in an additional four cases. CONCLUSIONS: Although OFG may have multiple etiologies, it is clear that, in some instances, a hypersensitivity reaction to cinnamon products can elicit lesions consistent with OFG. (+info)
A silkworm baculovirus model for assessing the therapeutic effects of antiviral compounds: characterization and application to the isolation of antivirals from traditional medicines.
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Ganciclovir, foscarnet, vidarabine and ribavirin, which are used to treat viral infections in humans, inhibited the proliferation of a baculovirus (Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus) in BmN4 cells, a cultured silkworm cell line. These antiviral agents inhibited the proliferation of baculovirus in silkworm body fluid and had therapeutic effects. Using the silkworm infection model, the antiviral activity of Kampo medicines was screened and it was found that cinnamon bark, a component of the traditional Japanese medicine Mao-to, had a therapeutic effect. Based on the therapeutic activity, the antiviral substance was purified. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the purified fraction revealed that the antiviral activity was due to cinnzeylanine, which has previously been isolated from Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Cinnzeylanine inhibits the proliferation of herpes simplex virus type 1 in Vero cells. These results suggest that the silkworm-baculovirus infection model is useful for screening antiviral agents that are effective for treating humans infected with DNA viruses. (+info)
Inhibition of lipid peroxidation and enhancement of GST activity by cardamom and cinnamon during chemically induced colon carcinogenesis in Swiss albino mice.
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Globally, colorectal cancer is the third commonest cancer in men since 1975.The present study focuses on the preventive strategies aimed at reducing the incidences and mortality of large bowel cancer. Chemoprevention of colon cancer appears to be a very realistic possibility because various intermediate stages have been identified preceding the development of malignant colonic tumors. Several studies have demonstrated that generous consumption of vegetables reduces the risk of colon cancer. This idea has prompted the present investigation to search for some novel plant products, which may have possible anticarcinogenic activity. It has already been proved from various experiments that chemopreventive agents, by virtue of their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, apoptosis-inducing activity, act at various levels including molecular, cellular, tissue and organ levels to interfere with carcinogens. Previous studies from our laboratory have already reported the inhibitory effect of cinnamon and cardamom on azoxymethane induced colon carcinogenesis by virtue of their anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity. This particular experiment was carried out to assess the anti-oxidative potential of these spices. Aqueous suspensions of cinnamon and cardamom have been shown to enhance the level of detoxifying enzyme (GST activity) with simultaneous decrease in lipid peroxidation levels in the treatment groups when compared to that of the carcinogen control group. (+info)
Cinnamon polyphenol extract affects immune responses by regulating anti- and proinflammatory and glucose transporter gene expression in mouse macrophages.
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Tristetraprolin (TTP/zinc finger protein 36) family proteins have antiinflammatory effects by destabilizing proinflammatory mRNA. TTP expression is reduced in fats of obese people with metabolic syndrome and brains of suicide victims and is induced by insulin and cinnamon polyphenol extract (CPE) in adipocytes, by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in macrophages, and by green tea polyphenol extract in rats. CPE was reported to improve immune function against microorganisms, but the mechanism is unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that CPE regulates immune function involving genes encoding TTP, proinflammatory cytokines, and glucose transporter (GLUT) families and compared the effects of CPE to those of insulin and LPS in mouse RAW264.7 macrophages. CPE increased TTP mRNA and protein levels, but its effects were less than LPS. CPE (100 mg/L, 0.5-4 h) increased TTP and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) mRNA levels by up to 2- and 6-fold that of the control, respectively, and the base level of TTP was 6-fold that of TNF. LPS (0.1 mg/L, 4 h) increased TTP, TNF, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, cyclooxgenase-2, and interleukin 6 mRNA levels by 39-1868 fold. CPE and LPS increased GLUT1 expression (the major GLUT form in macrophages) to 3- and 2-fold that of the control, respectively. Insulin (100 nmol/L, 0.5-4 h) did not exhibit major effects on the expression of these genes. CPE increased TTP expression more rapidly than those of proinflammatory cytokines and the net increases of TTP mRNA levels were larger than those of proinflammatory cytokines. These results suggest that CPE can affect immune responses by regulating anti- and proinflammatory and GLUT gene expression. (+info)
Effect of cinnamon and turmeric on urinary oxalate excretion, plasma lipids, and plasma glucose in healthy subjects.
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BACKGROUND: High oxalate intake resulting from consuming supplemental doses of cinnamon and turmeric may increase risk of hyperoxaluria, a significant risk factor for urolithiasis. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed urinary oxalate excretion from supplemental doses of cinnamon and turmeric as well as changes in fasting plasma glucose, cholesterol, and triacylglycerol concentrations. DESIGN: Eleven healthy subjects, aged 21-38 y, participated in an 8-wk, randomly assigned, crossover study that involved the ingestion of supplemental doses of cinnamon and turmeric for 4-wk periods that provided 55 mg oxalate/d. Oxalate load tests, which entailed the ingestion of a 63-mg dose of oxalate from the test spices, were performed after each 4-wk experimental period and at the study onset with water only (control treatment). Fasting plasma glucose and lipid concentrations were also assessed at these time points. RESULTS: Compared with the cinnamon and control treatments, turmeric ingestion led to a significantly higher urinary oxalate excretion during the oxalate load tests. There were no significant changes in fasting plasma glucose or lipids in conjunction with the 4-wk periods of either cinnamon or turmeric supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of oxalate that was water soluble differed markedly between cinnamon (6%) and turmeric (91%), which appeared to be the primary cause of the greater urinary oxalate excretion/oxalate absorption from turmeric. The consumption of supplemental doses of turmeric, but not cinnamon, can significantly increase urinary oxalate levels, thereby increasing risk of kidney stone formation in susceptible individuals. (+info)
The qualitative analysis of ethanol extracts of herbal raw materials by method of high pressure liquid chromatography.
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The article describes the qualitative analysis of ethanol extracts from St. John's wort, cinnamon bark, rosemary leaves, lavender flowers, and ginger rhizomes, and the extract of their mixture using the method of high pressure liquid chromatography in order to identify flavonoids. The aim of the study was to identify the amounts of rutin, hyperoside, quercetin, and other flavonoids in the multi-component extract as well as in the control extracts of its compositional parts using the method of high pressure liquid chromatography, by evaluation of the correlation between the amounts of flavonoids in the extracts. The evaluation of the results of the study showed that flavonoid amount in the control extracts of the herbal material and flavonoid amount in the ethanol extracts of the mixture of raw material did not differ significantly. It was found that the largest amount of flavonoids was extracted from St. John's wort. The results of the analysis confirmed the assumption that the yield of flavonoids from St. John's wort has no influence on the active substance of other medicinal herbal raw materials. (+info)
Contact allergy to cinnamon: case report.
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Allergic contact stomatitis is a rare disorder that is unfamiliar to most clinicians. The vast majority of cases are associated with consumption of products containing cinnamaldehyde or cinnamon essential oil, which are used as flavourings because of their pleasant taste and sensation of freshness. We report here the case of a patient who was diagnosed with alllergic contact stomatitis due to cinnamon-flavoured chewing gum. The clinical features of allergic contact stomatitis, which may occur indiscriminately on any of the oral mucosa, include edema and erythroplakic, ulcerous or hyperkeratotic changes, generally accompanied by a burning sensation. The histopathologic aspect of allergic contact stomatitis is nonspecific but tends to support the clinical diagnosis. Treatment generally consists of eliminating the causal agent. To avoid unnecessary diagnostic procedures and treatments, it is important for clinicians to recognize this disorder to be able to diagnose it quickly and accurately. (+info)
Clinical and biochemical effects of a combination botanical product (ClearGuard) for allergy: a pilot randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
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