A short extraction time of high quality hydrodistilled cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum L. Maton) essential oil using ultrasound as a pretreatment

The influence of ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) followed by hydrodistillation of Elettaria cardamomum L. seeds was investigated. The yield, volatile components and sensory characteristics of the extracted essential oils (EO) were evaluated. Power of ultrasonic and time of sonication were optimized. The chemical composition of the EO was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results revealed that the major components of cardamom essential oils varied between 26.59% and 39.34% for 1,8-cineole, and between 22.94% and 40.56% for alpha-terpinyl acetate, depending on the extraction conditions. The UAE technique facilitated short time extraction, improved extraction efficiency and produced good quality cardamom essential oil. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.