Short description:

Cardamom [Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton is recognized for its unique taste and aroma. As the third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla, Cardamom has been used as a spice and flavoring ingredient in food and is rich in bioactive constituents including minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, essential oils, terpenoids, flavonoids and carotenoids. Cardamom essential oil (CEO) and other bioactive compounds accumulated in cardamom capsules contribute to their characteristic aroma and utility as a novel food and nutraceutical. CEO from capsules possesses monoterpene constituents such as ?-terpineol, 1,8-cineole, ?-pinene, linalyl acetate, linalool, and nerolidol as well as the ester of ?-terpinyl acetate. Flavonoids, anthocyanins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and other cardamom phenolics have shown high MIC values against Campylobacter species and reduced Bacillus subtilis spore. CEO loses its flavor rapidly upon storing under a normal environment. The change in the aroma or flavor could also cause changes in the constituents of its phytochemicals.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): Production, Processing & Properties aims to create a multidisciplinary forum of discussion on E. cardamomum, emphasizing its botany, ethnobotanical, cultivation, horticultural practices, post-harvest, marketability, phytochemistry, extraction protocols, biochemistry, nutritional value, functionality, ethnomedicinal applications and and processing specifics. The book discusses the botanical distribution, phytochemical constituents, food applications and biological activities of cardamom capsule extracts and essential oil. Also, the text discusses the potential applications of E. cardamomum in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. This book is the first of its kind, a full research work dedicated specifically to cardamom applications and benefits that will be of value for researchers from multiple fields. 

Long description:

Cardamom [Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton is recognized for its unique taste and aroma. As the third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla, Cardamom has been used as a spice and flavoring ingredient in food and is rich in bioactive constituents including minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, essential oils, terpenoids, flavonoids and carotenoids. Cardamom essential oil (CEO) and other bioactive compounds accumulated in cardamom capsules contribute to their characteristic aroma and utility as a novel food and nutraceutical. CEO from capsules possesses monoterpene constituents such as ?-terpineol, 1,8-cineole, ?-pinene, linalyl acetate, linalool, and nerolidol as well as the ester of ?-terpinyl acetate. Flavonoids, anthocyanins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and other cardamom phenolics have shown high MIC values against Campylobacter species and reduced Bacillus subtilis spore. CEO loses its flavor rapidly upon storing under a normal environment. The change in the aroma or flavor could also cause changes in the constituents of its phytochemicals.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): Production, Processing & Properties aims to create a multidisciplinary forum of discussion on E. cardamomum, emphasizing its botany, ethnobotanical, cultivation, horticultural practices, post-harvest, marketability, phytochemistry, extraction protocols, biochemistry, nutritional value, functionality, ethnomedicinal applications and and processing specifics. The book discusses the botanical distribution, phytochemical constituents, food applications and biological activities of cardamom capsule extracts and essential oil. Also, the text discusses the potential applications of E. cardamomum in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. This book is the first of its kind, a full research work dedicated specifically to cardamom applications and benefits that will be of value for researchers from multiple fields. 

Table of Contents:

Introduction to Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): Production, Processing, and Properties.- Section 1. Cardamom: Cultivation, species, and cultivars.- Cultivation and agricultural practices of cardamom.- Cardamom botany, cultivars, and genetic diversity.- Plant morphological traits of cardamom.-  Viral Diseases of Cardamom.- Cardamom wild genotypes .- Section 2. Cardamom: Chemistry, functionality and health-promoting properties.- Composition and functional properties of cardamom seeds.- Composition and functional properties of cardamom essential oil.- Composition and functional properties of cardamom fixed oil.- Health aspects of true cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): clinical evidence and proposed mechanism.- Health-promoting effects of cardamom.- Composition and functional properties of cardamom leaves.- Chemistry and functionality of black cardamom (Amomum subulatum).- Section 3. Cardamom: Technology, processing, and applications.- Effect of processing on cardamom composition andproperties.- Cardamom-based beverages.- Cardamom-based phytosomes.- Cardamom Safety.- Cardamom in food applications.- Encapsulation of cardamom extract.- Cardamom oleoresin.- Non-food applications of cardamom.