A Comprehensive Review on the Antioxidant Potential of Indian Bay Leaf (Cinnamomum tamala)

Commonly known as Indian bay leaf (Cinnamomum tamala), a culinary spice and a medicinal plant, has drawn the interest of scientists due to its high antioxidative properties. The review below is an in-depth breakdown of its Antioxidant potential through Phytochemical, Pharmacological, and ethnomedicinal methods. It has been identified that oxidative stress contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of a variety of chronic illnesses, and over the past few years, there has been an interest in safer unsusceptible plant-derived antioxidants. C. tamala contains a good level of bioactive compounds (flavonoids, tannins, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, and terpenoids) and displays strong free radical scavenging activity, metal chelation properties, and the ability to activate enzymes. The plant shows the capacity to lower the oxidative biomarkers, which is confirmed through in vitro tests such as DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, as well as in vivo models. The standardization and identification of its major constituents have been made feasible by the analytical methods such as HPLC and GC-MS. According to the comparative studies conducted, C. tamala is one of the most effective Indian medicinal plants the antioxidant effect, and the favourable safety profile has been proven through acute and subacute toxicity studies. Its use in ancient herbal medicine and also its GRAS exclusion also prove its relevance as a treatment agent. The results warrant additional clinical confirmation, formulation, and investigation of its scientific use in functional foods and the pharmaceutical sector. The present review justifies C. tamala's potential as a natural antioxidant to be included in health-related innovations in the future.