Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum ) as a Food-Medicine Homologue: A Review of Pharmacological Mechanisms and Potential Applications in Metabolic Diseases

作者：Ruiyuan Zhang, Caijia Shen, Yicheng Lei, Yao Song, Lin Li, Huiwen Pang, Chen Chen, Yichen Hu, Chaomei Fu, Fang Liu · 发表于：Food Reviews International · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1080/87559129.2025.2476170 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Natural Antidiabetic Agents Studies、Diet, Metabolism, and Disease、GABA and Rice Research

The bark of Cinnamomum species (Cinnamon cortex, CC), recognized as a “homologue of food and medicine”, is widely utilized in various industries, including food, cosmetics, livestock, poultry, etc. Numerous studies suggest that CC offers health benefits, particularly in protecting against metabolic diseases (MD), such as diabetes, blood lipids, atherosclerosis, and obesity. However, the full spectrum of CC’s pharmacological mechanisms in MD remains inadequately explored. This review conducts a comprehensive analysis of current research to enhance our understanding of CC’s mechanisms in MD. Overall, CC has shown its potential in treating diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity, enhancing pancreatic β-cell function, and regulating glucolipid metabolism. For atherosclerosis, the mechanism of CC in MD is related to vascular endothelial function and lipid deposition. Furthermore, CC exerts its anti-obesity effects through two primary strategies, including modulating lipid metabolism and energy metabolism via UCP1, SREBP-1, and so on. Notably, the review highlights CC’s dual effect on blood lipids and there are few studies on CC’s potential effect on hypertension. This paper aims to provide an updated overview of the effects of CC and its bioactive components on MD, encouraging in-depth development of CC-related products, such as drug candidates, natural dietary supplements, functional foods, and so on.