The Function of Cinnamaldehyde and Its Application in Food

Cinnamaldehyde, also known as cinnamaldehyde, cassia aldehyde, β-benzaldehyde or 3-phenyl-2 acrolein is an organic aldehyde compound present in essential oils such as cassia oil, rose oil, patchouli oil, and the like. Its chemical name is triphenyl acrolein, the molecular formula is C9H8O, under normal pressure, the melting point is -8 ℃, the boiling point is 253 ℃, exists in the form of a liquid. Cinnamaldehyde has two isomers, cis and trans, and natural cinnamaldehyde has a trans structure. Cinnamaldehyde has a strong and lasting fragrance of cinnamon oil, has the characteristics of bacteriostasis and mildew prevention, dilation of blood vessels, and lowering blood pressure. It is widely used in medicine, food industry, and other fields.

The physiological function of Cinnamic Aldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde has the effect of lowering blood sugar and blood fat. It can be used to treat type Ⅱ diabetes. Ingestion of cinnamaldehyde can improve the utilization of glucose and esters in the body to achieve the purpose of lowering blood sugar and blood fat. Studies have shown that after taking cinnamaldehyde, patients with type 2 diabetes has significantly reduced fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein content. Cinnamaldehyde can be used in the treatment of anti-cell fibrosis. Studies have shown that cinnamaldehyde can inhibit the proliferation and hypertrophy of renal interstitial fibroblasts and the synthesis and secretion of interstitial collagen caused by high glucose.

Cinnamamide

Cinnamaldehyde has a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect. Cinnamaldehyde can increase the level of active oxygen in some bacteria, causing oxidative damage to it and causing its death. Wang Fan et al. Found that cinnamaldehyde acted on Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After treatment with cinnamaldehyde the solution, the growth of E. coli was inhibited, and the content of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde in the bacteria increased significantly. Bacterial membranes are formed on the surface. Although the accumulation of reactive oxygen species is not detected in the body, its growth and metabolism are also affected. Cinnamaldehyde can inhibit the growth of bacteria by destroying the structure and normal metabolic function of the bacteria. Cinnamaldehyde contains aldehyde groups have certain hydrophilicity and are easily adsorbed on the hydrophilic groups on the surface of fungi. It has a certain inhibitory effect on the activity of chitin synthase and dextran synthase on the cell membrane, thereby inhibiting the cell wall The production of medium chitin and glucose destroys the polysaccharide structure of the cell wall and inhibits the growth of the bacterial cell; it can also be dissolved between adjacent fatty acyl chains in the hydrophobic domain of the cell membrane to enhance the permeability of the cell membrane, resulting in ATP leakage and bacterial death .

Cinnamaldehyde can inhibit the growth of bacteria by blocking their metabolism. Dai Xiangrong et al. Analyzed and analyzed the changes in the optical density and malondialdehyde value of the Aspergillus flavus spore extract under different inhibition methods, and found that cinnamaldehyde can block the metabolic pathways in the growth process by inhibiting the activity of certain enzymes in the cell, which eventually led to spore Can not germinate normally and grow into colonies. The aldehyde group of cinnamaldehyde can chemically react with the functional groups of proteins in the cell, such as amino groups and carboxyl groups, thereby inhibiting the activity of enzymes or even inactivating the enzymes.

Because of its good antibacterial effect, as one of the Cinnamon Additives, cinnamaldehyde is widely used in food preservation. The main methods of use are: fumigation, film formation, and emulsion treatment. Treated the mushrooms in the experimental group with cinnamaldehyde and found that, compared with the control group, the microbial content of the experimental group was reduced, the respiration was slow, the oxidative damage was reduced, and the decrease in moisture content was slowed. All indicators show that the cinnamaldehyde fumigation treatment can effectively maintain the quality of the mushrooms and has a good fresh-keeping effect.