Distribution, quantification and toxicity of cinnamaldehyde in electronic cigarette refill fluids and aerosols

Introduction:
This text is a scientific study on the distribution, quantification, and toxicity of cinnamaldehyde in electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) refill fluids and aerosols. The study identified and quantified cinnamaldehyde in 39 e-cigarette refill fluids and evaluated its cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in human embryonic and adult cells. The study also analyzed the aerosols produced from a cinnamon-flavored refill fluid and determined the range action of cinnamaldehyde on adult lung and embryonic cells.

Key Points:

* The study identified and quantified cinnamaldehyde in 39 e-cigarette refill fluids using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.
* Twenty of the 39 refill fluids contained cinnamaldehyde at concentrations that are cytotoxic to human embryonic and lung cells.
* Cinnamon Ceylon aerosol produced in a cartomizer-style e-cigarette was cytotoxic, and aerosols made with a tank/box mod e-cigarette were more cytotoxic at 5 V than 3 V.
* GC/MS analysis revealed that aerosols produced at 5 V contained 10 additional peaks not present in aerosol generated at 3 V, including diacetyl.
* Cinnamaldehyde depolymerized microtubules in human pulmonary fibroblasts.
* At concentrations that produced no effect in the MTT assay, cinnamaldehyde decreased growth, attachment and spreading, altered cell morphology and motility, increased DNA strand breaks, and increased cell death.
* At the MTT IC50 concentration, lung cells were unable to recover from cinnamaldehyde after 2 hours of treatment, whereas embryonic cells recovered after 8 hours.

Main Message:
The study found that cinnamaldehyde-containing refill fluids and aerosols are cytotoxic, genotoxic, and negatively affect cell processes and survival. These findings suggest that cinnamaldehyde in e-cigarette refill fluids/aerosols may impair homeostasis in the respiratory system, and caution should be exercised when using e-cigarettes with cinnamon flavors. Additionally, the study highlights the need for further research to fully understand the potential health risks associated with e-cigarette use.

Behar, Rachel Z, Wentai Luo, Sabrina C Lin, Yuhuan Wang, Jackelyn Valle, James F Pankow, and Prue Talbot. “Distribution, Quantification and Toxicity of Cinnamaldehyde in Electronic Cigarette Refill Fluids and Aerosols.” Tobacco Control 25, no. Suppl 2 (November 2016): ii94–102. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053224.