Chemical composition of the volatile oil from the pericarp (husk) of large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.)

The large cardamom pericarp (husk) yielded 0.18% volatile oil by Clevenger hydrodistillation method. This oil was analysed for physical parameters viz. specific gravity (0.9148), refractive index (1.4733) and optical rotation (−7.700). The volatile oil was subjected to GC–MS analysis and 37 compounds were identified, constituting > 98% of the total oil. The major compounds characterized were 1,8‐cineole (38.7%), β ‐pinene (13.6%), α ‐terpineol (12.6%), spathulenol (8.3%), 4‐terpineol (4.5%), germacrene‐D (3.0%), α ‐pinene (2.8%) and β ‐selinene (2.7%). GC and GC–MS data revealed that the 1,8‐cineol content was less than 50% when compared with the seed oil.