Water-soluble polysaccharides from seeds of true cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum White at Maton, family Zingiberaceae) have been studied. The study has shown the presence of neutral and acidic components in these polysaccharides. Three polysaccharides (380, 166, and 27 kDa) have been isolated from the neutral fraction. According to the structural analysis data, they represent alpha-glucans with different degrees of branching (7.1-46.1%); alpha-(1-->4)-D-glucopyranose residues of their backbone chains are substituted at the C6 position with single a-D-glucopyranose residues. Polysaccharides with such structures have a wide range of biological activity. The presence of branched alpha-glucans in E. cardamomum seeds has been demonstrated.