Influence of environmental factors on content and composition of essential oil from common juniper ripe berry cones (Juniperus communis L.)

The present study evaluated the influence of some environmental factors on the quantity and composition of essential oil (EO) in ripe berry cones of Juniperus communis L. The berry cones were collected from juniper shrubs growing wild at five localities of north-east Slovakia during the years 2012-2014. The EO yield ranged from 0.4 to 1.9%, depending on the locality and year. In the EO, eight monoterpenes (alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, beta-myrcene, sabinene, limonene, terpinene-4-ol, borneol, bornylacetate) and one sesquiterpene (beta-caryophyllene) were identified. The dominant component was the monoterpene alpha-pinene, ranging from 31.0 to 49.0%. The amount and composition of the EO was affected by soil composition (content of humus and pH) and topographic environmental factors, including air temperature and precipitation. According to the composition of the EO, the studied juniper shrubs belong to the alpha-pinene chemotype.