Cardamom

ayurvedic

1. CARDAMOM

2. INTRODUCTION
Cardamom sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the
seeds of several plants in the generaElettaria and Amomum in the family 
Zingiberaceae.
Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are
recognized by their small seed pods: triangular in cross-section and spindle-
shaped, with a thin, papery outer shell and small, black seeds.
Elettariapods are light green and smaller, while Amomum pods are larger
and dark brown.

3. The monograph of CARDAMOM

4. CARDAMOM
Synonym : Cardamom fruit
Cardamom seeds

Biological Source : Dried ripe fruits of
Elettaria cardamomum

Family : Zingiberaceae

5. Geographical Source:
 Srilanka
 Myanmar
 Malaysia
 India
Mysore (India)
Kerala (India)

6. Organoleptic characters:
 Colour : Green to pale buff
 Odour : Agreeable, aromatic
and pleasant
 Taste : Strongly aromatic
 Size : 1 to 2 cm long

7. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Shape : Ovoid or oblong
Apex : Beaked
Base : Rounded with remains
of talk
Surface : Smooth & longitudinally
striated

8. COMPOSITIONS
•The content of essential oil in the seeds is strongly dependent on storage conditions,
but may be as high as 8%.
•In the oil were found myrcene 27%, limonene 8%, α-terpineol 45%, menthone 6%,
β-phellandrene 3%, 1,8-cineol 2%, sabinene 2% and heptane 2%.
•Other sources report 1,8-cineol (20 to 50%), α-terpenylacetate (30%), sabinene,
limonene (2 to 14%), and borneol.
•In the seeds of round cardamom from Java (A. kepulaga), the content of essential oil
is lower (2 to 4%), and the oil contains mainly 1,8-cineol (up to 70%) plus β-
pinene (16%); furthermore, α-pinene, α-terpineol and humulene were found.

9. USES
• Carminative
• Stimulant
• Spice
• Aromatic astringent
• Flavoring agent

10. SUMMARY
In this class we learnt about
 Elettaria cardamomum belongs to the family Zingiberaceae.
 Contains Volatile oil as main chemical constituent.
 Used as Carminative and flavoring agent.