Chemical Variability of the Berry Essential Oil of Two Subspecies of Juniperus Oxycedrus L. from Northwestern Algeria

The chemical composition of 33 oil samples isolated from the berries of individual trees of two subspecies of Juniperus oxycedrus L., collected in four locations in Tlemcen and Aïn Temouchent provinces, was investigated by GC-FID, GC/MS and 13CNMR. In total, 83 compounds were identified, accounting for 85.9 % to 98.6 % of the total composition. Yields ranged between 0.02 and 0.40 % (w/w). All compositions were submitted to statistical analysis. Combination of hierarchical clustering dendrogram and principal component analysis suggested the existence of two groups, the second group being sub-divided into two sub-groups. Groups and sub-groups were distinguished with respect to their contents of α-pinene, germacrene D, myrcene and, to a lesser extent, of manoyl oxide. The chemical composition of the oils belonging to subsp. oxycedrus was largely dominated by monoterpenes. α-Pinene (23.7-63.2 %) and germacrene D (4.5-25.4 %) were the major components, followed by myrcene (3.1-16.7 %). Conversely, samples oils of subsp. macrocarpa were largely dominated by germacrene D (4.4-30.0 %), followed by a lower content of α-pinene (10.0-24.3 %) and myrcene (1.0-4.3 %) and a significant content of manoyl oxide (4.3-9.9 %).

Bioactive Constituents of Juniperus turbinata Guss. from La Maddalena Archipelago

A comprehensive phytochemical study of Juniperus turbinata (Cupressaceae) collected from La Maddalena Archipelago (Sardinia, Italy) is reported. Both the essential oil and the ethanolic extract obtained from the aerial parts were analyzed. The essential oil appears to belong to a new chemotype compared to other Mediterranean juniper accessions, as it was favored by geographic isolation of the isles. It showed a low content of monoterpene hydrocarbons and α-terpineol, ent-manoyl oxide, 1,10-di-epi-cubenol as the major constituents. The ethanolic fraction contained mainly diterpenoids. Among these, 15-formyloxyimbricatolic acid (7) is a new natural product since it has hitherto been obtained only by synthetic route. The phenolic fraction contained biflavonoids: cupressuflavone (9), followed by minor amounts of amentoflavone (10) and hinokiflavone (11). The essential oil and six purified compounds (1 - 4, 8 and 9) were assessed for biological activities, namely antioxidant (assessed by DPPH^· , ABTS^·+ and FRAP methods) and cytotoxic effects towards selected human tumor cell lines (MDA-MB 231, A375 and HCT116 cells). Compound 3 exhibited higher radical scavenging activity against ABTS^·+ radical than the reference Trolox. Noteworthy, compound 8 showed powerful effects towards tumor cell lines, with IC₅₀ values in the range of 0.060 - 0.201 μm, which make it a promising anticancer drug candidate.

Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Algerian Juniperus phoenicea Essential Oils

The essential oils (EOs) obtained by steam distillation from the leaves and the berries of Juniperus phoenicea L., harvested in northwest of Algeria were analyzed and their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities were assessed. 63, 46 and 78 volatile compounds were identified by GC-FID and GC-MS from fresh leaves, dried leaves and berries representing 98.1%, 98.3% and 96.4% of the total oil, respectively. The fresh and dried leaves oils were mainly composed of β-phellandrene (43.9% / 44.9%), α-pinene (25.1% / 20.3%), myrcene (8.5% / 8.2%), α-phellandrene (4.7% / 4.5%) p -cymene (2.7%-3.0%) and limonene (2.3%-2.5%) whereas, the berries oil was mainly composed of α-pinene (43.7%), p -cymene (5.8%), β-phellandrene (4.6%), α-terpineol (4.3%) and α-campholenal (4.0%). The study of the antimicrobial activity showed that the 3 EOs were effective only on B. cereus ATCC 10876 and C. albicans ATCC 10231. No signs of acute toxicity have been noted in mice even at the highest dose tested (5000 mg/kg p.o). The fresh leaves, dried leaves and berries oils reduced the carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice by 16.8%, 15.2% and 6.4%, respectively, after 6 hours at a dose of 400 mg/kg p.o.

Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Analysis of the Essential Oil of Algerian Juniperus phoenicea

The essential oils of Juniperus phoenicea L. from Algeria were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Concerning their chemical composition, 74, 61 and 72 volatile compounds were identified from fresh leaves, dried leaves and berries, representing 88.8%, 91.3% and 94.7% of the total composition, respectively. The main monoterpene in the oils of fresh leaves, dried leaves and berries was α-pinene (29.6% / 55.9% / 56.6%), accompanied by lesser amounts of the sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene (2.6% / 1.6% /1.2%) and germacrene D (2.01% / 1.7% / 1.5%), respectively. Antibacterial activity of J. phoenicea essential oils was tested against one Gram-negative and four Gram-positive bacterial strains and the yeast Candida albicans, responsible for nosocomial infections. As references, 14 antibiotics and 5 antifungal agents were evaluated. The berry essential oil was ineffective against all but two of the strains tested, whereas the essential oil of dried leaves significantly inhibited all strains but Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which turned out to be the most resistant strain overall. However, Escherichia coli was the most susceptible to the essential oils tested. The essential oil of dry leaves was highly active against Candida albicans, outclassing even the standard antifungal substances. These promising results could substantiate the use of essential oils in the treatment of hospital-acquired infections.

Antimicrobial Activity of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Fruit Oil from Algerian Sahara

Three fruit oil samples of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Cosson & Durieu from Algerian Sahara were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC(RI), GC-MS and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The main compounds were perillaldehyde (87.0-87.9%) and limonene (7.4-8.2%). The antimicrobial effect of the essential oil was evaluated against bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi. High antibacterial activity was observed against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter cloaceae, Bacillus cereus and Salmonella typhimurium, with MIC values between 0.5-1.0 μL/mL. Fungal strains were also sensitive to the essential oil (MIC values: 0.25-0.75 μL/mL). The most potent activity was observed against the filamentous fungi, Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus flavus (0.25-0.50 μL/mL).