Aromatherapy products made with a cinnamon species endemic to Taiwan (Cinnamomum osmophloeum) might enter mass production, the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute said on Thursday.
The institute said it has bred “Tai-qie No. 1,” a cinnamon cultivar that produces the aromatic compound linalool, after more than 30 years of efforts.
The breed is different from other types of cinnamon found on the market in Taiwan, it added.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Forestry Research Institute
“Tai” in the tree’s name refers to Taiwan, while “qie” refers to the first character in the Mandarin name of linalool, qie luo mu chun (伽羅木醇), which was detected in the species by the institution and National Taiwan University (NTU) in 1978, it said.
When researchers from the institute and NTU collected germplasm of osmophloeum in the wild, they only found a few that contained linalool in the more than 1,500 samples they gathered, institute researcher Wu Chia-chen (吳家禎) said.
NTU chemistry professor Lin Yao-tang (林耀堂) published the finding in 1978, he said.
The institute spent more than 30 years breeding the tree using the specimens it found, as it takes seven to 10 years for the plant to reach maturity, he said.
Wu told the Central News Agency that two types of cinnamon tree are endemic to Taiwan and grow at altitudes below 800m.
The newly bred cultivar would be used mainly for its leaves or the leaf essential oil, which has significant commercial value and could maintain the sustainability of forests, he said.
The variety smells like lavender, which also contains linalool, he said, adding that Taiwan is not suitable for lavender cultivation.
Animal experiments showed that extracts of the plant’s leaves help ameliorate depression and anxiety, and can lower blood lipid levels, Wu said.
The new cultivar was granted a plant variety right in April, which protects its rights for 25 years, he said, adding that three agricultural companies have inquired about technology transfer for the plant.
Companies that plan to use the plant to make aromatherapy products, such as essential oils, may not give the variety to third parties, or their products could be destroyed and they could face fines or civil claims, Wu said.
Businesses that plan to use the plant to make food products must adhere to Ministry of Health and Welfare regulations, he added.
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