Blog

January 5, 2023

Cinnamon from the bark of Cinnamomum species is one of the most important spices used worldwide in food and as a traditional medicine for centuries. It has substantial benefits for human health including its protective role on cardiovascular diseases. The genus Cinnamomum is widely distributed in the world, with around 250 known species and the main species of commercially cultivated cinnamon are Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon Cinnamon), Cinnamomum burmannii (Korintje Cinnamon), Cinnamomum cassia (Saigon Cinnamon) and Cinnamomum loureiroi (Royal Cinnamon). Ethnobotanical reports state that the most consumed part of the plant is the bark. The main constituents of cinnamon are cinnamaldehyde and trans-cinnamaldehyde that are present in the essential oil. These compounds besides contributing to the cinnamon fragrance have biological properties.

November 25, 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is considered to be a major cause of dementia due to the increasing ageing of the population worldwide. It is a disease that severely affects patients’ daily activities, which has a significant impact on society (i.e., families, communities, and healthcare systems). According to estimates from WHO, more than 55 million people are living with dementia, and this number is expected to triple worldwide by 2050. The etiology of cognitive and memory impairment is still not fully understood. What is known so far about the pathogenesis of this disease includes several different causes leading to neurodegeneration, which follow each other and are closely linked.

Essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile compounds obtained from a single plant species via steam distillation, dry distillation, or mechanical processes. They are best known for their use in flavours, fragrances, and cosmetics, but have traditionally been used for many other purposes, including religious ceremonies and as therapeutic agents. Their traditional use has led to increasing attention being paid to their biological activity, including their activity at the level of the central nervous system.