Chemical and Antimicrobial Studies of Juniperus excelsa subsp excelsa and Juniperus excelsa subsp polycarpos Essential Oils

The essential oils obtained from the leaves and fruits of Juniperus excelsa subsp. excelsa as well as the fruits and male and female leaves of trees of Juniperus excelsa subsp. polycarpos growing in Iran, were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and screened for bacteriostatic and fungistatic activities. Analysis of leaves and fruits oils of J excelsa subsp. excelsa. identified 39 and 35 components respectively. J excelsa subsp. polycarpos leaves (male and female trees) and fruits oils analysis showed 27, 33 and 24 compounds respectively. In spite of differences in percentages of the various components in the analyzed essential oils obtained from various parts of both plants, the GC-MS analysis of these oils indicated the composition of the oils were quite similar. The main components of the oil of the fruits and leaves of J excelsa subsp. excelsa were alpha-pinene and (x-cedrol respectively. a-Pinene, 1,4-cineol and limonene were the major components of the oil of the fruits and leaves of male and female trees of J excelsa subsp. polycarpos respectively. However P-pinene was also one of the major components of J. excelsa subsp. polycarpos leaves of female tree oil. The antimicrobial activity of essential oils of fruits and leaves of these plants were also investigated. They had a wide range of activity from no antimicrobial activity to some antimicrobial activity against various tested microbial strains (Bacillus sublilis, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Staphylococcus aureus,). The defatted ethanol extract of fruits and leaves of both plants were examined for the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and tannins. The amounts of non-volatile compounds were quite variable in different parts of the plants.