Gas chromatography mass spectral analysis of free and glycosidically boundvolatile compounds from Juniperus oxycedrus L growing wild in Croatia

The essential oils in fresh needles and green and mature berries of Juniper us oxycedrus L. (Cupressaceae) were analyzed by GCMS. A total of 36 compoun ds were identified from needles, representing 94.91% of the total oil. 15 c ompounds were identified in the green berry oil and 22 in the mature berry oil, which accounted for 94.33 and 90.94% of the total oil composition. The major component was cl-pinene. The glycosidically bound volatile compounds amounted to 21 mg kg(-1) in needles and 4 mg kg(-1) from green berries. On ly traces of aglycones were identified in mature berries. Sixteen volatile aglycones were identified in needle sample with 2-hydroxy-5-methylacetophen one as major component. A total of nine aglycones were identified in green berries. The major aglycones were 3-phenyl-2-propen-1-ol and myrtenol. Ther e was no similarity between the glycosidically bound aglycones and the corr esponding free compounds found in the essential oil. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd. All rights reserved.