Modulation of the Volatile Profile of Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) Essential Oil by Non-Thermal Instant Controlled...

Elettaria cardamomum (cardamom) is an Asian-origin fragrant seed highly valued for its sensory attributes, including its delicate scent and distinctive flavor. Essential oils (EOs) constitute the primary extracts obtained from cardamom, and their market demand has increased considerably in recent years, largely due to their recognized antioxidant properties. To support this growing demand, innovative technologies such as instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) have been explored. DIC increases cell porosity, promoting solvent accessibility and improving extraction efficiency while preserving heat-sensitive constituents, an advantage when coupled with conventional methods like hydrodistillation, which remains the standard method for EO production. GC-MS analysis identified 14 volatile components in the extracted oils. Limonene was the predominant compound, reaching 40.54% under DIC 7 (122°C, 19 s), followed by eucalyptol, which reached 24.31% under DIC 8 (122°C, 41 s). A combination of DIC processing parameters influenced the composition of key constituents. For compounds such as 3-carene, eucalyptol, linalyl valerate, ρ-menth-1-en-4-ol, and α-citral, both processing time and temperature contributed to their variation. In contrast, other compounds, such as ρ-mentha-1,4-dien-7-ol, α-terpineol, β-selinene, and geraniol, were driven primarily by a single factor. Overall, this study shows that DIC pretreatment can potentially modulate the volatile profile of cardamom essential oil and highlights how specific DIC conditions influence the abundance of individual key constituents.