Ela

Sanskrit name : एला

निरुक्ति : एलयति प्रेरयति स्फूर्तिं जनयतीत्यर्थः । (भा.नि.)

Ela : It is stimulant.

Latin name : Elettaria cardamomum Maton.

Gana/Varga:          

Charaka Samhita	Katuka Skandha, Shwasahara, Angamarda prashamana, Shirovirechana, Vamanopaga
Sushruta Samhita	Eladi, Pippalyadi
Dhanwantari Nighantu	Shatapushpadi Varga
Madanapala Nighantu	Karpuradi Varga
Bhavaprakasha Nighantu	Karpuradi Varga shloka 55
Dravyaguna Vijnana II (P.V. Sharma)	Dahaprashamana page 719-721
Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India Part I	Vol I
Nighantu. Adarsha	Vol. II 580-584

 

Synonyms:

Sukshma or Sukshmaila (D.N., Bp. Ni.)

Based on Habitat
द्राविडी	द्रविडदेशे जाता । (भा.नि.)
Dravidi (D.N., Bp. Ni.)	It grows in South India.
कोरड्गी	कोरड्ग देशे व्यवहृता । (भा.नि.)
Korangi (D.N., Bp. Ni.)	It grows in South India.
Based on Swaroopa
उपकुञ्चिका	उपकुञ्चति, कुञ्च कौटिल्याल्पीभावयोः । (भा.नि.)
Upakunchika (Bp. Ni.)	Fruit is trilocular, subglobose capsule.
त्रुटिः	त्रुट्यत इति, सूक्ष्मेत्यर्थः । (भा.नि.)
Truti (Bp. Ni.)	Fruit is trilocular, subglobose capsule.
त्रिपुटा	त्रयः पुटा अस्य । (अ.को.)
Triputa	It has 3 surfaces (trilocular).
निष्कुटिः	निष्क्रान्ता कुटेः कोशात्, बीजानां कोशा वृत्तत्वात् । (नि.आ.)
Nishkuti (D.N.)	The seeds are taken out of outer covering (as Fruit is indehiscent).
बहुला	बहूनि बीजान्यस्मिन् । (ध.नि.)
Bahula	Seeds are many in number.
बहुलगन्धा	बहुलो गन्धोऽस्याम् । (रा.नि.)
Bahula gandha	It is aromatic.
चन्द्रबाल	चन्द्रस्य कर्पूरस्य बालैव, कर्पुरगन्धित्वात् । (ध.नि.)
Chandrabala (D.N.)	Its  aroma is similar to Karpura.
Based on Karma
तुत्था	तोदं स्थापयति शमयति तुद व्यथने । (भा.नि.)
Tuttha (D.N., Bp. Ni.)	It relieves abdominal pain.

 

Vernacular names:               

Hindi	Choti elayichi
Assam	Sarooplachi
Kannada	Sanna elakki
Bengal	Chota Elaich
Marathi	Barika veladode
Gujarat	Elachi
Telagu	Elakkayalu
Punjab	Illachi
Tamil	Chinna ealm
Malayalam	Ealm
English	Cardamom fruit, Lesser cardamom

 

Morphology:

Habit: Tall herbaceous perennial with subterranean branching root stock, 1.5 –5m in height; Leaves subsessile, elliptic or lanceolate with sheathing base; Flowers: in panicles which are many for a plant, arising from the base of the vegetative shoots, upright first and becoming prostrate, lip of corolla white, streaked violet; Fruits: trilocular, subglobose capsules, marked with many fine vertical ribs, Seeds: 15-20 per pod, brownish black covered by a thin mucilaginous membrane.

Distribution: Growing naturally in moist forests of Western Ghats up to 1500 m, also cultivated in many other parts of south India at an elevation from 750-1500m.

Types: Eladwaya-

1. Ela

  2. Bruhat ela.

Guna-Karma:           

Guna	Laghu, Ruksha
Rasa	Katu, Madhura
Vipaka	Madhura
Virya	Shita
Prabhava	---
Karma
Doshaghnata	Vatahara, Kaphahara (P.V.-Tridoshahara) Vata hara: Owing to Madhura rasa and Vipaka Kapha hara : Pertaining to Katu rasa and Laghu, Ruksha guna

Anyakarma

Hrudya, Rochana, Dipana, Chardinigrhana, Trushnanigrhana,

Prayoga: Shwasa, Kasa, Kshaya, Arsha, Mutrakruchra, Agnimandya, Chardi, Trushna, Aruchi, Hrullasa, Adhmana, Udarashula, Hrudroga,  Gulma; 

Chemical composition: Cardamom is a rich source of the compound 1,8-cineole. Seeds contain volatile oil, Potassium salts, starch, yellow colouring matter, ash; Volatile oil contains Cineol, terpineol, terpinene, limonene, and sabinene, α-terpinyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, and linalool. 

Prayojya Anga: Bija

Sangraha Kala:  Should be collected before fruit’s dehiscence.

Amayika prayoga:

Abhyantara :

1.  Mutrakrichra :

a.  Ela should be given with Amalaki swrasa or Dadhi mastu.(Su.U.58/41)

b.  Ela should be given with Dadhi mastu.(Sho.Ni.)

2.  Mutraghata: Ela churna should be given with little Shunthi and Jeeraka churna mixed in Dadima swarasa and Sura. (Vrinda)

3.  Udavarta: Ela churna should be given with Madhya. (Su.U.55/22)

4.  Hrullasa, Chardi, Shula, Adhmana : Its Phanta is useful.

5.  Hrudroga:  Each 4 valla of Ela churna and Pippalimula churna  should be given along with Ghruta. (Vangasena)

6.  Mukhadaurgandhya: Ela  is used as ingredient of Tambula.

 

Matra: Churna : 250-500 mg

Vishishta Yoga: Eladi Churna, Eladi gutika, Eladyamodaka, Eladi kwatha.

Research:

1.  Antibacterial and antifungal activity: The antimicrobial effect of the cardamom oil was tested against nine bacterial strains, one fungus, and one yeast, which together showed that the oil was as effective as 28.9% phenol.

2.  Analgesic effects: An investigation of the analgesic activity of the oil extracted from commercial Elettaria cardamomum seeds using p-benzoquinone as a chemical stimulus proved that a dose of 233microL/kg of the oil produced 50% protection against the writhing (stretching syndrome) induced by intraperitoneal administration of a 0.02% solution of p-benzoquinone in mice

3.  Antioxidant effects: Cardamom extracts have also been found to be pro-oxidants.

4.  Dermatological effects: The in vitro and in vivo effect of pretreatment by cardamom oil, a crude drug extract, in ethanol/water vehicles on the transdermal delivery of indomethacin was investigated.

 

Important references: