Essential oil and glycosidically bound volatile compounds from the needlesof common juniper (Juniperus communis L.)

The essential oil was isolated by hydrodistillation and glycosides were ext racted with ethyl acetate from the needles of common juniper. The obtained essential oil was fractionated on microcolumn with solvents of different po larity. All fractions were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) on two columns with different polarity of the stationary phases. S ixty-three compounds were identified. The main components of juniper needle oil were: a-pinene (16.9%), sabinene (12.1%), terpinene-4-ol (7.7%), beta- phellandrene (7.3%), widdrene (6.4%), gamma-terpinene (5.9%), beta-terpinen e (4.3%), alpha-terpinene (3.8%), and other compounds in smaller quantities . After isolation, final purification of the glycosides and enzymatic hydro lysis, the liberated aglycones were analysed in the same way as fractions o f the essential oil. Twenty-two aglycones were identified. The main aglycon es were: 3-phenyl-2-propen-1-ol, (32.8%), 2-phenylpropanol (6.0%), thymoqui none (4.6%), 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde (4.3%), 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol (2. 8%), 2-phenylethanol (2.8%), 3-phenyl-2-propenal, (2.7%), methyl-3-hydroxyb enzoate (2.6%), and p-cymen-8-ol, o-mfthoxybenzyl alcohol, methyl salycilat e, alpha-methylbenzyl alcohol, 1-octen-3-ol, and other compounds.