One of the plants, which for long has not been receiving the attention of researchers, is the common juniper – Juniperus communis L. The results of the study of the pharmaceutical market of herbal medicines indicate the absence of drugs made of the plant. J. communis L. is positioned as an aromatic plant. However, the overall pharmacological effect of the plant is produced by a polyphenol complex, that is not fully reseatched. The literature also lacks information about the optimal solvent capable of removing the most complete range of polyphenolic compounds. The authors provide a comparative analysis of the chemical composition of essential oil of J. communis L. cone from different regions of Russia. The chemical composition of the essential oil from 4 regions of Russia was studied with the application of gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. The results indicate a fairly stable component composition of essential oil of J. communis L., but quantitative indicators of various components in different regions are different. In the composition of essential oils, it is possible to allocate 4 terpenes characteristic groups: bicyclic monoterpenes, monocyclic monoterpenes, monocyclic and bicyclic monoterpene alcohols, and bicyclic sesquiterpenes. The dominant group is bicyclic monoterpenes: α- and β-pinenes and camphene. The minor components of the J. communis L. essential oil include monocyclic monoterpenes, alcohols and sesquiterpenes: o-cymene, α-limonene, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, longifolen and caryophyllene. The component composition of J. communis L. essential oils can be considered a marker that will distinguish it from any other essential oils. The results can be used to objectively assess the quality standards of pharmaceutical medicinal plant material – Juniperus cone.
One of the plants, which for long has not been receiving the attention of researchers, is the common juniper – Juniperus communis L. The results of the study of the pharmaceutical market of herbal medicines indicate the absence of drugs made of the plant. J. communis L. is positioned as an aromatic plant. However, the overall pharmacological effect of the plant is produced by a polyphenol complex, that is not fully reseatched. The literature also lacks information about the optimal solvent capable of removing the most complete range of polyphenolic compounds. The authors provide a comparative analysis of the chemical composition of essential oil of J. communis L. cone from different regions of Russia. The chemical composition of the essential oil from 4 regions of Russia was studied with the application of gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. The results indicate a fairly stable component composition of essential oil of J. communis L., but quantitative indicators of various components in different regions are different. In the composition of essential oils, it is possible to allocate 4 terpenes characteristic groups: bicyclic monoterpenes, monocyclic monoterpenes, monocyclic and bicyclic monoterpene alcohols, and bicyclic sesquiterpenes. The dominant group is bicyclic monoterpenes: α- and β-pinenes and camphene. The minor components of the J. communis L. essential oil include monocyclic monoterpenes, alcohols and sesquiterpenes: o-cymene, α-limonene, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, longifolen and caryophyllene. The component composition of J. communis L. essential oils can be considered a marker that will distinguish it from any other essential oils. The results can be used to objectively assess the quality standards of pharmaceutical medicinal plant material – Juniperus cone.