Total Antioxidant Capacity and Change in Phytochemicals of Four Major Varieties of Cardamom Oils During Decortication

The oil content and chemical composition of the volatiles from whole capsule, decorticated seed and husk of four varieties of cardamom viz. Malabar, Mysore, Vazhukka, and Guatemala were studied. The differences in the aroma of cardamom from different sources were attributed to the ratio of esters and 1,8-cineole in the oil. The main constituents of the oils were found to be terpinylacetate and 1,8-cineol. The study revealed that the oil obtained from a whole capsule of the Malabar variety was superior in quality compared to the oil from other varieties. The in vitro total antioxidant capacity of the oils from whole capsules by two different methods was also carried out, and it was found that the Malabar variety has the highest antioxidant activity compared to other varieties.