Composition and Functional Properties of Cardamom Fixed Oil

Abstract

Cardamom is known for its characteristic aroma, and it has several applications in many areas, including the food and pharmaceutical industry, due to its potential health benefits. Although the seeds contain low amounts of oil, the composition of the fixed oil has great importance regarding the presence of varying compounds, including tocopherols, monounsaturated fatty acids, phenolics, carotenoids, and sterols. The most abundant fatty acids of the cardamom fixed oil are oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids. Furthermore, ?-tocopherol constitutes the main fraction of tocols in cardamom fixed oil, followed by ?- and ?-tocopherols, and the major sterol fractions of the oil are ?-sitosterol followed by sitostanol. In addition to these components, phenolics and carotenoids contribute to cardamom fixed oil’s functional properties, including antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Although cardamom is better known for its essential oil composition, the fixed oil of the seeds also carries these potential health-promoting attributes due to the aforementioned composition, which makes the plant more important and valuable. This chapter reviews the composition and functional properties of cardamom fixed oil to create an enhanced overview of the fixed oil of this lesser-known spice. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.