The cinnamom shrub. Telegraph picture

Jorhat, July 15: In 2006, the North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), then known as the Regional Research Laboratory, made a unique discovery — a new species of cinnamon (dalchini) growing wild in the high-altitude areas of the Northeast.

Cinnamon trees are commonly grown in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka, China and India but the research institute found that the leaves and bark of this new shrub-like tree yielded superior spices.

Now, the institute is researching ways to mass produce the shrub so that it can be harvested in plantations like tea.

Cinnamon oil can be a good revenue earner for the Northeast in the export market, which is dominated by Sri Lanka and China.

Subhan C. Nath, chief scientist of the medicinal and aromatic plants division of NEIST, said there were two ways to mass propagate the plant — conventional seed propagation, stem-cutting method and the laboratory method of tissue culture.

“We are concentrating on tissue culture because the seed has been found to be variable, that is sometimes it sprouts (into a new plant) and sometimes it does not. Stem-cuttings will require lakhs of shrubs from which such cuttings can be made,” Nath said.

He said the institute patented the process of extraction of oil from a new cinnamon source in 2006.

“Cinnamon oil is in great demand in Western countries and Europe where it is used as a preservative in the food industry as well as a flavouring agent. The cinnamon species from which oil is exported is indigenous to Sri Lanka and China. In India, these are grown in the coastal areas but cannot even meet domestic demand,” the scientist said.

“Imagine the export potential for the Northeast as there will be vast amount of raw material from the leaves, which are soft unlike the hard bark. Also, bark harvesting, if not done properly (scientifically) can kill the tree,” he said.

Nath and his team discovered this shrub, known locally as Dieng-lorthia and Dieng-siasa, growing wild in the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya.

“The bark of the stem is sold after processing in the form of quills in the local market but people still do not know that the leaf has high quality cinnamon content. The essential ingredient is cinamic aldehyde. The leaves contain 94 per cent cinamic aldehyde whereas the bark contains 85 per cent and the roots 90 per cent,” Nath said.

The department of biotechnology, New Delhi, has recently sanctioned Rs 54 lakh to work on all species of cinnamon in the country.

“We have come to know that this shrub also grows in Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, and high altitude areas of Nagaland. During this project period we will establish whether these are the same species or if there are any differences,” Nath said.