Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Properties of Elettaria cardamomum Extract

Introduction: Cardamom, also known as Elettaria cardamomum, a venerated perennial herb like the "Queen of Spices" belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. She holds various pharmacological activities due to its phytochemicals it contains such as; phenols, tannins, terpenoids, flavonoids, sterols. Methods: The study included the determination of the chemical composition of Elettaria cardamomum ethanolic extract (EEC) by HPLC/UV and evaluated their antimicrobial potential against ten pathogenic reference strains using two complementary techniques: the method of diffusion from solid discs and the determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). Results: The results obtained from chemical identification of the EEC showed the presence of polyphenolic acids (rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, etc.) and many flavonoids (kaempferol, chrysin, galangin, pinocembrine, quercetin, etc.). The results of the antimicrobial effect showed that the extract reacted positively on almost all the microbial strains tested. The EEC extract significantly inhibited the growth of microbial strains, with a broader antimicrobial spectrum with extensive action with inhibitory zones between 8 and 33 mm in diameter. Thus, this extract revealed a dose-dependent antimicrobial activity on these microbial strains used. However, the inhibitory potential of the cardamom extract was variable compared to their MIC ranging from 6.25 to 12.5 mg of dry extract/mL. Therefore, the strains least susceptible to EEC are Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. Conclusion: This activity is due to the phenolic compounds produced by the EEC extract. This extract can be used for the development of plant medicines against microbial infections and fungal infestations.