An Experimental Design Approach for Pressurized Liquid Extraction from Cardamom Seeds

Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to evaluate the extraction conditions of Elettaria cardamomum Maton using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). Influence of operating conditions such as temperature (90–150°C), ethanol-water concentration (25–75 wt%), and flow rate (1.0–4.0 mL/min) on the essential oil yield was investigated. The maximum yield from the response surface equation was predicted at 90°C, 75 wt% ethanol, and 4 mL/min. The essential oil composition of E. cardamomum using PLE followed by solid phase extraction was compared with hydrodistillation and Soxhlet extraction methods. The extraction yield for PLE was the highest one, and at the optimum conditions, the amount of desirable oxygenated components like 1,8-cineole and α-terpinenyl acetate were higher in PLE than in the hydrodistillation and Soxhlet method.