Elettaria cardamomum ((L.)) Maton

Micucci, M., Bolchi, C., Budriesi, R., Cevenini, M., Maroni, L., Capozza, S., Chiarini, A., Pallavicini, M. & Angeletti, A., 2020, Antihypertensive phytocomplexes of proven efficacy and well-established use: Mode of action and individual characterization of the active constituents, Phytochemistry (112222) 170, pp. 1-19 : 5-6

2.5. Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton

Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton, commonly known as cardamom, is widely used in India, Pakistan, Burma and Sri Lanka as a food and also as a vegetal drug for the treatment of several diseases including, among others, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, vomiting, and cardiovascular diseases (Duke, 2001). Extracts from cardamom fruits and seeds contain a wide number of cyclic and acyclic terpenes, with content prevalence of cineol and linalool, together with phytosterols (Shaban et al., 1987; Gopalakrishnan et al., 1990; Duke, 1992; Kuyumcu Savan and Kucukbay, 2013).

A crude extract from cardamom fruits was shown to relax in a concentration-dependent fashion endothelium-intact rat aorta rings pre-contracted with phenylephrine or KCl. In addition, this extract induced a concentration-dependent suppression of the atrial contractions (Gilani et al., 2008). The petroleum spirit, chloroform and the ethyl acetate fractions seem to be the most active as regards the vasorelaxant effects. These properties were confirmed in vivo, as the intravenous injection to anaesthetized rats resulted in a drop of arterial BP (Gilani et al., 2008). Furthermore, the administration of 3 g of cardamom powder to patients with essential hypertension (primary hypertension) reduces systolic and diastolic BP, in addition to enhancing fibrinolysis and improving total antioxidant status (Verma et al., 2009).

Isolated components of cardamom extract characterized for antihypertensive activity are depicted in Fig. 5 . For cineol, the major constituent, antihypertensive effect was demonstrated in rats chronically exposed to nicotine and this effect was associated with regulation of NO and oxidative stress (Moon et al., 2013). Another important constituent, linalool, was studied, free and β- cyclodextrin complexed, in both normotensive and hypertensive rats demonstrating antihypertensive effects associated to a direct action on the vascular smooth muscle leading to vasodilation, to increased vasodilator responsiveness and reduced sensitivity to the sympathetic agonist phenylephrine (Anjos et al., 2013; Camargo et al., 2018). For limonene, the blood pressure attenuation was imputed to antioxidant activity, lipid lowering and promotion of vascular remodelling (Santiago et al., 2010; Wang et al., 2018). Direct effect on the vascular smooth muscle leading to vasodilation was suggested for citronellol (Bastos et al., 2009; Ribeiro-Filho et al., 2016), while β- pinene was suggested to induce endothelium-independent vasorelaxation caused by the inhibition of the Ca 2+ influx through L-type Ca 2+ channel associated to a decrease in calcium sensitivity (Moreira et al., 2016).

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Fig. 5. Isolated components of Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton extract characterized for antihypertensive activity.