Effect of Aqueous Cinnamon Extract on the Postprandial Glycemia Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cinnamon is a spice used in traditional cuisine that has been investigated due to hypoglycemic properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of aqueous cinnamon extract on postprandial glycemia levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) adults. This clinical trial enrolled 36 adults with DM2, randomly allocated in two groups: the control group (n = 18) took only an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and the intervention group (n = 18) took OGTT immediately followed by aqueous cinnamon extract (6 g/100 mL) ingestion. Blood glucose levels were measured on fasting and after 30, 60, 90 and 120 min in both groups. The chemical analysis of the aqueous cinnamon extract included total phenols content determination and antioxidant activity assessment through FRAP and DPPH methods. The data reveal that aqueous cinnamon extract ingestion did not show a significant difference in the incremental area under the curve (p = 0.834), maximum glucose concentration (p = 0.527) and glucose concentration variation (p = 0.873) compared with the control group. Cinnamon extract possess a total phenol content of 1554.9 mg/L gallic acid equivalent and a strong antioxidant capacity, revealed by the DPPH (5125.0 µmol Trolox/L) and FRAP (3658.8 µmol Trolox/L) tests. Aqueous cinnamon extract did not significantly influence postprandial glucose response in diabetic patients during an OGTT.