Chemical studies of essential oils of Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. badia

Leaf and (unripe and ripe) berry essential oils of Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. badia (H. Gay) Debeaux grown wild in Spain have been analysed by capillary GC and GC-MS in combination with retention indices. A seasonal investigation of both leaf and berry oils was also performed. Among the approximately 80 constituents investigated (representing 90-98% of the oils) 60-68 were identified (80-97% of the oil composition). The leaf oils were mainly composed of alpha-pinene (40-57%) and manoyl oxide (5-10%). The (unripe) berry oils were dominated by alpha-pinene (65%) with moderate amounts of myrcene, limonene, germacrene D or gamma-muurolene. Several differences in yields and chemical composition from a qualitative and quantitative point of view were detected when comparing all the oil samples analysed. In addition, two oil samples were examined, but found inactive, against the replication of HIV-1(III(B)) and HIV-2(ROD) in cell culture, whereas the samples were toxic for the cells at a 50% cytotoxic concentration of 106 and 123 microg/ml, respectively.