Lakhasly

Cardamom seed

Origin
 dried ripe seed of Elettaria cardamomum Maton var, minusula, Burkill,  belonging to family Zingiberaceae.

Active constituents
Cardmom seeds contain 3 to 6% of volatile oil along in addition to fixed oil, calcium oxalate,protein and starch .The active constituent of the volatile oil is cineole. Other aromatic compounds present are terpinyl acetate, terpineol, borneol, terpinene, limonene ,linalool and sabinene .

Terpineole linalool terpinene

limonene

Uses
.Cardamom is used as an aromatic, carminative, stimulant, stomachic, expectorant, diaphoretic, digestive, appetizer, and flavouring agent.
. It is hand-me-down in the dose of respiratory disorders like asthma, bronchitis, cough, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, headache, diarrhea, colds.
. for flatulence, also used as a spice in cooking

Chemical tests
1-Sudan III : To the thin section of the drug, add alcoholic solution of Sudan III . Red colors obtained by globules indicate the presence of volatile oil [for volatile oil ]
2- Iodine test : Add iodine solution to the powder drug . In the presence of starch , a blue colour appear [for starch]
3- chemical tests for protein
a-Biuret test : add 4% NaOH and few drop of 1% CuSO4  solution to 3 ml of extracts
b- Millon's  test : mix 3 ml extracts with 5 ml Millon's  reagent . White ppt. warm ppt . turns brick red or the ppt dissolves giving red coloured solution .

Macro- morphological characters
Seeds are derived from anatropous ovules and the seeds are attached in double rows with axile placentation. The seeds are wrinkled and angular. They ought to be powdered just when needed for use, as they lose their sweet-smelling characters .
In a longitudinal groove running base to apex raphe is present .In a shallow depression at the apex micropyle and hilum are placed . Testa is covered by colorless membrane called aril, followed by perisperm and endosperm surrounding a central small embryo .

Micro- morphological characters
There is a completely thin membraneous arillus, enveloping the seed and composed of numerous layers of collapsed cells, yellow in color, and containing oil. The brownish testa consists of an outer dermis along with a unmarried layer of cells rectangular in transverse section, longitudinally elongated and with parenchymatous quit partitions in surface view; light yellow in color and having barely thick give up partitions; a single layer of large parenchymatous cells containing unstable oil. In the location of the raphe there are layers of oil cells separated by using the raphe meristele; several layers of small flattened parenchymatous cells, and an inner epidermis of sclerenchymatous cells, radially elongated, with anticlinal and inner partitions very strongly thickened and reddish-brown in colour. The operculum or embryonic cap is composed of two or three layers of those sclerenchymatous cells. The micropyle is a narrow canal passing thru the operculum. Within the testa is a properly-evolved perisperm composed of parenchymatous cells full of minute globular starch grains, and containing in the centre of each cell a small prismatic crystal of calcium oxalate . The perisperm encircles the endosperm and embryo, both composed of thin-walled cells wealthy in protein.
Market preparations containing cardmom

-BANYAN
-CLOUD FOREST CARDMOM
-Spark naturals [ cardmom seed]
-Spicy world [ cardmom powder ]

• Gya Labs [cardmom essential oils ]

Mechanisms of action

1-Anti-cancers: Cardamom oil may additionally prevent cancer-causing DNA damage. It might also growth the hobby of herbal killer cells and reason cancer mobile loss of life via the activation of the ERK1/2 pathway and inhibition of HDAC2 [12, 13, 2].
2-Antioxidant: In addition to its free radical scavenging potential, cardamom extract accelerated sports of some liver enzymes (SOD, GSH, GST) and reduced interest of others (cytochrome p450, ALT, AST, and ALP). These adjustments are associated with extended antioxidant fame, and detoxification of foreigncompounds [9, 10, 3, 11].
3-Anti-tension: Quercetin, a flavonoid found in cardamom, has a potential anti-tension effect in the brain by reducing corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRF) [8].
4- Antispasmodic: Cardamom decreased potassium-ion-brought on contractions in intestinal, bronchial, and heart tissues. It additionally sure calcium ion receptors to stimulate tissue rest. The results in an antispasmodic property that could lessen gut misery, allergies symptoms, and blood pressure. Alternatively, it could attain the identical outcomes with the aid of blocking muscarinic acetylcholine (cholinergic) receptors [5, 6, 7].
5- Anti-inflammatory: Cardamom will increase Th2 cytokine launch and reduces Th1 cytokine release. Cardamom additionally decreases inflammatory markers COX-2, IL-6, NF-κB, and TNF-α, and the production of NO via iNOS [2, 3,4].