Composition of essential oils from four major cultivars of large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) grown in Sikkim

Sangay Gyampo Bhutia; Sujata Upadhyay; Anjana Pradhan; Laxuman Sharma

Sangay Gyampo Bhutia Department of Horticulture, Sikkim University, 6th Mile, Samdur, Tadong-737102, Gangtok, Sikkim, India.
Sujata Upadhyay Department of Horticulture, Sikkim University, 6th Mile, Samdur, Tadong-737102, Gangtok, Sikkim, India.
Anjana Pradhan Department of Horticulture, Sikkim University, 6th Mile, Samdur, Tadong-737102, Gangtok, Sikkim, India.
Laxuman Sharma Department of Horticulture, Sikkim University, 6th Mile, Samdur, Tadong-737102, Gangtok, Sikkim, India.

Keywords: Large cardamom, essential oil, GC-MS, Amomum subulatum, capsule, Zingiberaceae

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the essential constituents in four major cultivars of large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.). Each sample was analysed for volatile oil content using hydro-distillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus. The essential oil content varied from 2.70 to 1.90% and highest amount of essential oil content 2.70% was obtained from variety Golsey. The composition of the essential oil was determined by GC-MS which led to the identification of 47 compounds representing 93%-99.7% of the total oil. The major components identified in the oil were 1,8-Cineole, ?-pinene, ?-Pinene, ?-Terpineol, ?-thujene, ?-terpineol, limonene, ?-terpineol, ?- terpinene and myrcene. Out of 47 metabolites analysed it was found 1,8-Cineole was the major component in the large cardamom oil. Golsey cultivar contained the highest numbers of major metabolites among the cultivars tested. Further, Ramsey cultivar was found with high percentage of 1,8-cineole.