Volatiles from all Juniperus trees growing wild in Greece

Juniperus (Cupressaceae) comprise 8 species in Greece. The Lake Prespa region is one of the least areas with well-preserved forest habitats of Greek juniper (J. excelsa) in the Balkan Peninsula [1]

The seed cones, mostly of J. communis, are medicinally used as diuretic and for the relief of digestive disorders, while essential oils are widely applied in food and cosmetic industries.

We report in this study the volatiles (GC-MS) from leaves and cones of wild trees of Juniperus oxycedrus L. subsp. deltoides, J. excelsa, J. foetidissima, J. communis subsp. communis from Lake Prespa region (W Macedonia), together with J. macrocarpa and J. phoenicea from the island of Lesvos (N Aegean).

The results showed that in most of the studied Juniperus, oxygenated monoterpenes followed by sesquiterpenes appeared as the most abundant metabolites, except of J. macrocarpa which contained mainly sesquiterpenes followed by their oxygenated derivatives.

All studied essential oils belonged to α-pinene chemotype with amounts of α-cedrol, sabinene, limonene, myrcene, as the most abundant metabolites. Several differences in yields and chemical composition were detected comparing the studied samples. Furthermore, the obtained results in comparison with literature from Juniperus of different geographic origin showed qualitative and quantitative differences, which could be attributed to the unique micro-climate conditions of Prespa region and the volcanic island of Lesvos.

All samples have been evaluated for their total phenolic content, antiradical and antimicrobial activity showing that the leaves have higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity compared to the seeds and they will be potential further exploited.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 December 2022

• Reference

• 1 Strid A, Bergmeier E, Fotiadis G. Flora and Vegetation of the Prespa National Park, Greece. Society for the Protection of Prespa, 2020.