Cinnamaldehyde content in foods determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

trans-Cinnamaldehyde, the principal component of cinnamon flavor is a poten t antimicrobial compound present in essential oils such as cinnamon. In the course of studies designed to discover its maximum microbial lethality und er food-processing conditions, a gas chromatographic-mass spectrophotometri c procedure was developed for the extraction and analysis of essential oil components such as cinnamaldehyde from commercial cinnamon-containing foods (several brands of cinnamon breads, cereals, cookies, puddings, applesauce s, and fruit juices). The cinnamaldehyde content ranged from trace amounts in orange juice to 12.2 mg/100 g (122 ppm) in apple cinnamon cereals and 31 .1 mg/100 g(311 ppm) for cinnamon swirl bread (highest value). To ascertain the heat stability of cinnamaldehyde, pure cinnamaldehyde, pure eugenol, c innamon oil, and mixtures consisting of cinnamaldehyde plus eugenol or cinn amon oil were heated at graded temperatures up to 210 degreesC and 60 min, and then possible compositional changes were examined. Eugenol was stable t o heat, as were the components of cinnamon oil: carvone, eugenol, and linal ool. In contrast, starting at similar to 60 degreesC, pure cinnamaldehyde u ndergoes a temperature-dependent transformation to benzaldehyde under the i nfluence of heat. Eugenol, both pure and in cinnamon oil, when added to pur e cinnamaldehyde protected the aldehyde against heat destruction. The prote ction may due to an antioxidative action of eugenol. The possible mechanism of this effect and the significance of these findings for food chemistry a nd microbiology are discussed.