~ 33 ~ The Pharma Innovation Journal 2015; 4(1): 33-36 ISSN: 2277- 7695 TPI 2015; 4(1): 33-36 © 2015 TPI www.thepharmajournal.com Received: 09-01-2015 Accepted: 08-02-2015 Dhia E. Elhag Department of pharmaceutical chemistry, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Medical Science and Technology, Sudan Zuheir Osman Department of pharmaceutics, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Sudan Hind Omer Department of pharmaceutical chemistry, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Medical Science and Technology, Sudan Saad M.H. Ayoub Department of pharmacognosy, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Medical Science and Technology, Sudan Mona. S. Mohammed Department of pharmacognosy, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Sudan Wadah J. Ahmed Department of pharmacognosy, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Sudan Correspondence: Wadah.J.Ahmed Department of pharmacognosy, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Sudan Chemical composition, antimicrobial activities and TLC profile of different bark extracts of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Dhia E. Elhag, Zuheir Osman, Hind Omer, Saad M. H. Ayoub, Mona. S. Mohammed, Wadah. J. Ahmed Abstract The bark of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is commonly used as spice and has also been widely employed in the treatment and prevention of diseases. The aim of the present study is to assess the antimicrobial activity of the 96% ethanolic, petroleum ether, chloroform and methanolic extracts against four standard bacterial species, two Gram-negative bacteria, (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeurginosa), two Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) and two standard fungal species (Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger). This study also aimed to investigate the chemical composition of the active extract and to determine the thin layer chromatography profile of different bark extracts of the plant. The results showed that all extracts exhibit significant antimicrobial activity against the tested organisms and the petroleum ether (PE) extract showed the strongest activity and was subjected to GC-MS analysis. The petroleum ether extract was composed of 99% (E) - Cinnamaldehyde which was isolated by preparative TLC. The antimicrobial activity of C.zeylanicum most probably due to the presence of (E) – cinnamaldehyde, a known antimicrobial natural product. Keywords: Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Antimicrobial activity, Cinnamaldehyde, GC- MS analysis. 1. Introduction Infectious diseases are disorders caused by microorganisms — such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Many organisms live in and on our bodies. They are normally harmless or even helpful, but some organisms under certain conditions may cause disease [1] . Infectious diseases can be transmitted from person to person or via bites of insects or animals. Also ingestion of contaminated food and water can lead to infectious disease [1] . Each infectious disease has its own specific signs and symptoms. The main treatment of infectious diseases is the chemicals which include antibiotics, antifungal and antiviral agents. But, recently many antibiotics have failed to discourage the growth of many bacteria that have ability to transmit and acquire resistance to drugs. Thus infections with these bacteria are associated with high morbidity and mortality especially in immunocompromised patients. In addition many researches have established the side effects of overuse and misuse antibiotics which can harm vital organs like liver and kidneys [2] . The known success of traditional medicine has guided the search for new chemotherapeutic alternatives to eliminate the infections caused by drug resistant microbes and to reduce the harm cause by antibiotics. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is a small evergreen tree which is native to Sri Lanka, southeastern India, Indonesia, South America, and the West Indies [4] . The main constituents of cinnamon bark is cinnamon oil which contains mainly cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic alcohol. Cinnamaldehye is the most prevalent one with concentration of 6,000 – 30,000 ppm [5] . Cinnamon has been used to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. It has traditionally been used to treat toothache and fight bad breath and its regular use is believed to treat common cold [6] . It is also believed to possess an antioxidant [6] , antiulcer [6] anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Plant and extraction procedure Cinnamon bark was purchased from Yarol Company in Omdurman. The plant materials were grinded and then extracted using 96% Ethanol in Soxhlet apparatus for 6 h. Another sample from powdered cinnamon bark was extracted successively with petroleum ether 40-60 ˚C, chloroform and methanol, respectively.