CHARACTERIZATION OF JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS L. ESSENTIAL OIL OBTAINED FROM BERRIES HARVESTED FROM THE BALKAN AREA

Abstract

Juniperus communis L. is a plant widely found as a wild crop in the South-Eastern Europe areas. Juniper berries, the fruit of Juniperus communis L. are a highly valued, essential oil-rich plant material used traditionally in folk medicine as antiseptic, diuretic, antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungicidal agent. This paper reviews information on extraction methods of the essential oil from the juniper berries, collected from different regions of Eastern Europe. The batches of essential oil obtained were characterized in terms of chemical composition using GC-FID method and organoleptic properties. Depending on the harvesting and collection areas, various results were achieved for the investigated attributes under similar production settings. Juniper berry essential oils derived from Albanian areas are rich in sesquiterpenes, which constitute key compounds with significant added value in the flavor and fragrance industries.

Keywords

• distillation
• essential oil
• flavors
• juniperus communis l.
• sesquiterpenes