Use of GC-MS Combined with Resolution Methods to Characterize and to Compare the Essential oil components of Green and Bleached Cardamom

Abstract

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with iterative and non-iterative resolution methods was used to characterize and to compare the essential oil components of green cardamom and bleached cardamom. Green cardamom and Bleached cardamom essential oil components were extracted by microwave-assisted hydrodistillation and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thirty one and forty six components were identified by direct similarity searches for green cardamom and bleached cardamom, respectively. These numbers were extended to fifty five and seventy components, respectively with the help of multivariate curve resolution methods. Morphological score and subspace comparison were used for chemical rank determination of GC-MS data. Multivariate curve resolution-alternative least squares as an iterative method was used for resolving the overlapped and embedded peaks. Comparison of the results of green cardamom and bleached cardamom showed that their volatile components are different from chemical components and relative percentages points of view. Major constituents in green cardamom are 1,8-cineol (47.18%) , alpha-terpinyl acetate (14.33%) , linalool (6.28%) , terpineol (4.94%) l-4-terpineol (2.48%) and in bleached cardamom are 1,8-cineol (34.12%) ,alpha-terpineol (26.91%) , alpha-terpinyl acetate (21.04%), linalool (6.39%) and l-4-terpineol (1.89%). In spite of different cultivation conditions, there are 33components which are common between the two types of cardamom.