Exploring Phytochemical Diversity and Physiological Attributes of Juniper Species in Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Shir.C., Islamic Azad University, Shirvan, Iran

2 Department of Agriculture Science, Shir.C., Islamic Azad University, Shirvan, Iran

Abstract

Investigating the phytochemical and physiological changes in juniper species is essential for identifying bioactive compounds and enhancing their medicinal uses. A 2022-2023 study evaluated the essential oil content and composition of three juniper species: Juniperus sabina L., J. polycarpos K.Koch, and J. communis L. This research was conducted in the Salouk area of North Khorasan, Iran (37° 19.0242' N, 57° 32.7232' E). Herbarium numbers were assigned by the Agricultural Research Center of North Khorasan: J. communis (Khsh.CU/J. communis 101), J. polycarpos (Khsh.CU/J. polycarpos 102), and J. sabina L. (Khsh.CU/J. sabina 103). Essential oil content per 100 g of dried plant material was 0.5 g for J. polycarpos, 1.7 g for J. sabina, and 0.54 g for J. communis in branches; in fruits, the values were 2.36 g, 3.34 g, and 2.02 g, respectively. J. sabina had a significantly higher essential oil content compared to other species, with 29 compounds in its branches and 24 in its fruits identified through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. In contrast, J. polycarpos contained 19 compounds in branches and 36 in fruits. The fruit extracts showed a significantly higher average percentage of essential oil than branch extracts across all species, with the fruit of J. communis containing the highest rate at 98.93%. In the species J. communis, the major compounds in the branch were Trans-pinene (15%), α-phellandrene (14.97%), α-pinene (11.28%) and terpinolene (6.66%) and the major compounds in the fruit were α-phellandrene (22.19%), Hexanoic acid (13.50%), β-pinene (8.93%) and sabinene (7.37%). In the species J. polycarpos, the major compounds in the branch were benzaldehyde (20.03%), δ-3-carene (5.48%) and Terpinolene (3.71%) and the major compounds in the fruit were Thuja-2,4(10)-diene (43.35%), n-heptanol (6.13%) and 1-octen-3-ol (5.40%). In the species J. sabina, the major compounds in the branch were sabinene (12.78%), camphene (12.12%), terpinolene (8.4%) and α-terpinene (6.78%) and the major compounds in the fruit were 1-octen-3-ol (35.27%), α-pinene (7.65%), camphene (5.78%) and Cis-sabinene hydrate (5.15%). This study highlights the potential of ripe fruits in Juniper species as a valuable source of essential oils and emphasizes the critical role of specific genes, particularly the pin gene, in enhancing their biosynthesis.

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References

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Journal of Medicinal plants and By-products
Volume 15, Issue 1
January and February 2026
Pages 46-52

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