HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF JUNIPERUS OXYCEDRUS L. (CUPRESSACEAE) GROWN ON SERPENTINE SOILS IN BULGARIA

This study investigated the heavy metal concentrations and chemical compositions of the essential oils of Juniperus oxycedrus L. (Cupressaceae), growing on serpentine soils in the Eastern Rhodopes Mountains, Bulgaria. Elevated Ni content in soils does not affect the development of Juniperus oxycedrus L. and the quality and quantity of oil obtained from it. Sixty components representing 98.10-98.92% of the total oil were identified. The major compounds were determined limonene (12.10-13-84%), gamma-himachalene (7.47-12.58%), manoyl oxide (6.60-12.80%), alpha-pinene (6.41-8.78%), dibutyl phthalate (1.48-8.14%), delta-cadinene (2.93-6.33%), gamma-cadinene (3.64-5.00%), beta-bisabolene (2.98-4.29%) in needles oil. The Juniperus oxycedrus L. can be considered as "excluder plant," containing relatively low metal concentrations in the needles even in cases of high elemental concentrations in the soils. Metal concentrations for toxic elements in plants and oils were below the permissible limits for pharmaceutical purposes. Therefore, Juniperus oxycedrus L. found on serpentine soils is recommended to be collected for pharmaceutical purposes.