INTRODUCTION
Greater cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb) belonging to the family Zingiberaceae is also
known with various names such as large or big or black or Nepal cardamom. Greater cardamom
seeds are widely used as flavoring spice and well known for medicinal values. Ghimire et al. (2011)
found strong DPPH free radical scavenging activity of greater cardamom seeds extracted in 80%
methanol and recommended it to use as natural antioxidants in foods. But the optimum conditions
required for extraction of antioxidants from greater cardamom seeds are not well studied. Therefore, a
detailed study is needed to evaluate its antioxidant potential. For the study of antioxidant potential of a
natural source, efficient extraction of antioxidant compounds from the source is the first and essential
step. Many researches show that the content of natural antioxidants in the extracts is largely
influenced by the extraction solvent systems and techniques used