Cinnamon, the popular spice in Indian cuisine, is known to possess several health benefits and this has been validated by the latest study by ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) on Friday.
The study demonstrated that cinnamon and its active components—cinnamaldehyde and procyanidin B2—when administered orally to rats had an inhibitory effect on early-stage prostate cancer. The study aimed to assess the chemopreventive efficacy of cinnamon (CN) and its bioactive compounds (cinnamaldehyde or procyanidin B2) in vivo in male rats.
As part of this study, adult rats were given cinnamon or its bioactive compounds through the diet for 16 weeks before induction of cancer. It was observed that feeding cinnamon or its active compounds resulted in 60-70% of rats showing normal prostate histologically.
“We tried to decipher the probable mechanism(s) for the chemopreventive effect and observed that cinnamon and its active components could mitigate oxidative stress, decrease spread of cancer cells in the prostate gland. Interestingly, we also observed beneficial effect on bone mineral content and decrease in bone degeneration in these rats,” said Ayesha Ismail, head of endocrinology division who led the study.
“It is encouraging to see these results about cinnamon, the humble Indian spice that is commonly used in our cuisine. However, these outcomes warrant more detailed studies before any dietary recommendation can be made,” said ICMR-NIN director R. Hemalatha.
The study titled ‘Chemopreventive effect of cinnamon and its bioactive compounds in a rat model of premalignant prostate carcinogenesis’ has been published in the international peer-reviewed journal ‘Cancer Prevention Research, said an official release.
