Cinnamomum
From 250 genera of Cinnamomum around the world, 33 present therapeutic and nutritional effects. The four species of C. verum (true cinnamon, Sri Lankan, or Ceylon cinnamon), C. burmannii (Java or Indonesian cinnamon), C. cassia (Chinese cinnamon), and C. loureiroi (Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon) are important herbs used for their therapeutic properties in traditional medicine and the pharmaceutical industry (Kumar et al., 2019).
Cinnamomum extracts and their effective compounds have also been used for treating asthma, bronchitis, diarrhoea, headache, inflammation, cardiac disorders, and PCOS, as well as to increase female/male sexual potency and female sexual desire (Zaidi et al., 2015).
Cinnamomum in Fertility:
Hormonal Dis-balance Studies showed that Cinnamomum modulated the Hypothalamus-Pituitary Gland-Gonad axis and increased the secretion of gonadotropin hormones (GnRH and FSH) (Parvizi & Ellendorff, 1982).
Dysmenorrhoea Women with dysmenorrhea suffer from menstruation-associated symptoms such as prolonged bleeding and severe uterine contraction and pain. Polyphenolic compounds in Cinnamomum alleviate dysmenorrhea pain and bleeding. (Alotaibi, 2016). The extracts of the plants containing polyphenols (isoflavonoids and flavonoids), like Cinnamomum, that can reduce oestrogen secretion and prevent endometriosis progression via their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (Ji et al., 2011).
Insulin resistance Studies show that insulin resistance plays a key role in the development of PCOS symptoms. Also, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance not only cause metabolic problems, but also play an important role in the pathogenesis of fertility problems in women with PCOS (Khan et al., 2003). Cinnamon inhibits the activity of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), leading to a rise in glucose uptake. Cinnamon also induces the insulin receptor kinase enzyme and inhibits insulin receptor dephosphorylation. All of these effects lead to a decrease in insulin resistance (Rashidlamir et al., 2013). In a randomized controlled trial, Kort and Lobo (2014) showed that six months of treatment with Cinnamomum improved the menstrual cycle, insulin resistance, and androgen secretion in women with PCOS (Kort & Lobo, 2014).