| Summary: | The present study examined the chemical composition and antimicrobial and gastrointestinal activity of the essential oils of <i>Elettaria cardamomum</i> (L.) Maton harvested in India (EC-I) and Guatemala (EC-G). Monoterpenes were present in higher concentration in EC-I (83.24%) than in EC-G (73.03%), whereas sesquiterpenes were present in a higher concentration in EC-G (18.35%) than in EC-I (9.27%). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.5 and 0.25 mg/mL were demonstrated against <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> in EC-G and EC-I, respectively, whereas MICs of 1 and 0.5 mg/mL were demonstrated against <i>Escherichia coli</i> in EC-G and EC-I, respectively. The treatment with control had the highest kill-time potential, whereas the treatment with oils had shorter kill-time. EC-I was observed to be more potent in the castor oil-induced diarrhea model than EC-G. At 100 and 200 mg/kg, P.O., EC-I exhibited 40% and 80% protection, respectively, and EC-G exhibited 20% and 60% protection, respectively, in mice, whereas loperamide (10 mg/kg, i.p., positive control) exhibited 100% protection. In the in vitro experiments, EC-I inhibited both carbachol (CCh, 1 µM) and high K<sup>+</sup> (80 mM)-induced contractions at significantly lower concentrations than EC-G. Thus, EC-I significantly inhibited <i>P. aeruginosa</i> and <i>E. coli</i> and exhibited more potent antidiarrheal and antispasmodic effects than EC-G.
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