Botanical name Elettaria cardamomum L.
Family Zingiberaceae
Source Seeds
Origin India
Description / Color / Consistency A light, colourless to very pale yellow liquid..
Aromatic Summary / Note / Strength of Aroma Sweet, floral and eucalyptus-like Flavor: Strong and spicy
Blends With Rose, Orange, Bergamot, Cinnamon Bark, Clove Bud, Caraway, and Cedar wood.
Product Abstract
Cardamom a member of the ginger family and it is one of the world’s oldest spices and its use dates back to thousands of years ago. Cardamom may look like one whole seed, but it is actually a seed pod; inside the pale, green, papery outer layer are several tiny black seeds. Cardamom pods grow between the sizes of 1/4-inch to 3/4-inch. Cardamom is native to India, but it also grows in Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Indo-China, and Tanzania. Guatemala is the world’s largest producer of this aromatic spice while India, the leading producer of cardamom in the 20th century, ranks in at second. One thousand years ago, Vikings brought Cardamom to modern day Scandinavia it remains a staple of Scandinavian baking. It is one of the world’s most expensive spices, second only to saffron.
History
The use of cardamom dates back to at least 4,000 years. Considered one of the world’s oldest spices, it was used in ancient Egypt for its medicinal properties – and even as a part of rituals and embalming. And the Romans and Greeks used this spice for its pungent aroma. The Vikings discovered it during their travels and brought it back to Scandinavia.
Common Usage
Cautions
There are no inherent dangers to Cardamom essential oil, except in some rare cases of irritation when a highly concentrated form was applied to the skin.
Key constituents
1,8-Cineole 26.5–44.6%
a-Terpinyl acetate 29.2–39.7%
Linalyl acetate 0.7–7.7%
(þ)-Limonene 1.7–6.0%
Linalool 0.4–5.9%
a-Terpineol 0.8–4.3%
Sabinene 2.5–3.8%
Terpinen-4-ol 0.9–3.2%
(E)-Nerolidol 0.1–2.7%
b-Myrcene 0.2–2.2%
a-Pinene 0.6–1.5%
Geraniol 0.3–1.1%
Quality Cardamom oil may be adulterated by the addition of 1,8-cineole, a-terpinyl acetate or linalyl acetate .
Safety summary
Hazards
Essential oils high in 1,8-cineole can cause CNS and breathing problems in young children.
Contraindications Do not apply to or near the face of infants or children.
Regulatory guidelines Has GRAS status.
Organ-specific effects
Adverse skin reactions Undiluted cardamon oil was not irritating to the skin of either rabbits or mice; tested at 4% on 25 volunteers it was neither irritating nor sensitizing. It is nonphototoxic. 1,8-Cineole presents a low risk of both skin irritation and sensitization.
Reproductive toxicity 1,8-Cineole shows no evidence of teratogenesis in mice at 100 mg/kg/day sc.
Systemic effects
Acute toxicity
Cardamon oil acute oral LD50 in rats 5 g/kg; acute dermal LD50 in rabbits >5 g/kg. 1,8-Cineole has been reported to cause serious poisoning in young children when accidentally instilled into the nose.
Carcinogenic/anticarcinogenic potential
Cardamon oil dosedependently inhibited aflatoxin B1-induced adducts in calf thymus DNA, in the presence of rat liver microsomes. Cardamon oil significantly induced glutathione S-transferase in mouse liver, but significantly reduced levels of CYP.
Comments
Cardamon oil significantly inhibited gastric irritation and ulcerative lesions induced by ethanol and aspirin in rats.
