trans-Ethyl cinnamate is the E-isomer of ethyl cinnamate, a sweet balsamic cinnamate ester that appears in AromaForge most clearly in davana and false-ginger galangal profiles. Live sources support strong identity data, repeated occurrence as a major Kaempferia galanga constituent, and a modest but real preclinical literature that includes mixture-level antioxidant work and isolate-level insecticidal and anti-angiogenic findings. Those benefit-facing studies remain nonclinical, so the safest positioning is chemistry-first with explicit evidence-tier labels rather than therapeutic copy.
Chemical identity and composition
NIST lists the specific stereoisomer entry 2-propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, ethyl ester, (E)- and names trans-Ethyl cinnamate among its aliases. In the archive it appears both as a major galangal marker and as a notable secondary davana constituent, with local oil data showing 19.50% in false-ginger galangal literature and 3.89% in the current davana GC batch profile.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded sweet, balsamic, floral, cinnamon-like descriptors to explore a blend's scent character; perceived strength also depends on the other ingredients.
- Review the flagged use concerns across every contributing oil and the selected dilution.
- Read the route, preparation and experimental context before using a study finding to choose an oil.
Reported benefits and effects
Findings retain their study context. An animal or laboratory result describes that experiment.
A 2023 open-access Frontiers in Nutrition paper reported trans ethyl cinnamate at 19.50% of Kaempferia galanga essential oil and found antioxidant activity for the whole oil in vitro and in a zebrafish oxidative-stress model.
Europe PMC's abstract reports the constituent percentage directly and describes lower ROS generation, cell death, lipid peroxidation, and improved antioxidant-enzyme readouts after KGEO treatment, but the test material was the full oil rather than isolated trans-Ethyl cinnamate.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2014 Journal of Economic Entomology abstract identified ethyl cinnamate as one of the isolated active compounds from Kaempferia galanga oil and reported contact toxicity against the booklouse Liposcelis bostrychophila with an LC50 of 21.4 microg/cm2.
The same abstract reported weaker fumigant activity and weak repellency relative to some other isolated constituents, which makes the activity signal real but application-specific.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2024 PubMed-indexed paper reported that ethyl cinnamate suppressed tumor growth through anti-angiogenesis by attenuating the VEGFR2 signaling pathway in colorectal cancer.
This is direct constituent research, but it remains nonhuman disease-model evidence and should not be translated into medical claims.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
Use concerns and concentration limits
Sensitization concernFlagged
Flagged in the constituent reference; assess the source, route and finished-product concentration.
Phototoxicity concernNot flagged
Not flagged in the current model. This is not proof of absence or unrestricted safety.
Oxidation concernNot assessed
Not assessed in the available record.
Penetration enhancementNot assessed
Not assessed in the available record.
A recorded constituent reference, not a recommended oil dilution. Product category, source applicability and all contributing oils must be checked before use.
unverified reference · No source provenance attachedA modern RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment exists for ethyl cinnamate, supporting an active fragrance-safety review trail for this material.
The source assessment applies to its specified exposure and preparation; this entry is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
The reviewed public sources did not provide a directly verified constituent-specific dermal maximum or inhalation limit for isolated trans-Ethyl cinnamate.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
Most positive activity findings are preclinical or use whole oils, so consumer-facing copy should avoid implying clinically established anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, or anticancer effects.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
Constituents it may interact with
No constituent-pair interaction is recorded for this identity. The report does not assume either amplification or incompatibility.
How the effects were investigated
vegfr2_pathway_attenuation
A 2024 Journal of Ethnopharmacology paper reported that ethyl cinnamate suppressed tumor growth through anti-angiogenesis by attenuating VEGFR2 signaling in a colorectal-cancer model.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
What this report cannot establish
- A reported constituent percentage does not establish an effective human therapeutic dose or the amount absorbed into the body.
- The presence of a constituent does not guarantee a clinical benefit, rash treatment or sleep improvement from a custom blend.
- An unflagged concern or missing use limit does not establish safety for ingestion, inhalation, skin exposure or a particular person.
- A candidate constituent interaction does not establish that two oils amplify one another at the selected proportions.
- Constituent descriptors alone do not establish a precise top, heart or base lifetime in a finished blend.
Known data gaps (5)
- Most public activity studies treat the broader ethyl cinnamate material rather than analytically proving E-isomer purity throughout the assay workflow.
- No human clinical trial centered on isolated trans-Ethyl cinnamate was verified in this pass.
- A directly readable public dermal sensitization threshold or finished-product restriction specific to trans-Ethyl cinnamate was not verified from the reviewed sources.
- The numeric dermal reference lacks source provenance; a verified flag alone is insufficient.
- Some findings do not record an explicit exposure route; consult the linked study before applying them to a use.