The composition of the volatiles from leaves of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume from Sri Lanka was studied by GC-FID and GC-MS. The basic component of the oil was found to be eugenol (74.9%), followed by β-caryophyllene (4.1%), benzyl benzoate (3.0%), linalool (2.5%), eugenyl acetate (2.1%) and cinnamyl acetate (1.8%). The essential leaf oil from cinnamon demonstrated scavenger activity against the DPPH radical at concentrations which are lower than the concentrations of eugenol, butylated

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... luene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). This essential cinnamon oil showed also a significant inhibitory effect on hydroxyl radicals and acted as an iron chelator. Cinnamon leaf oil efficiently inhibited the formation of conjugated dienes and the generation of secondary products from lipid peroxidation at a concentration equivalent to that of the standard BHT.