Yield, Chemical Composition and Bioactivity of Essential Oils from Common Juniper from Different Spanish Origins

In the current context of climate change and growing population the adoption of sustainable products and materials derived from renewable sources is a priority for ensuring food security, biodiversity, and environmental health. At the core of this matter, is the search for new plant sources of bio-based products, however this practice needs to meet two key requirements: using land that does not compete with food production and selecting species with minimal resource demands that are well adapted to the local environment.

The BeonNat project looks to address these challenges by developing strategies to use arable lands where food production is not profitable to grow resilient tree and shrub species that require little care and that are a source of interesting bio-products such as essential oils. 

One of these shrubs, Juniper, has been used since ancient times in food, beverages and as medicine and can be a rich source of essential oils with interesting bioactivities and applications. However, unlike other plants used for its essential oils like lavender, rosemary or thyme, research into cultivating Juniper has been limited, relying instead on wild-harvested plant material. Controlled cultivation can help regulate the quality and consistency of the oils, which is challenging to achieve when sourcing plants from the wild. 

To overcome this problem, BeonNat has developed a strategy to evaluate the yield, chemical composition, and bioactivity of essential oils of wild Juniper trees from four locations in the northern region of Spain where it grows naturally, with the aim to select those with better characteristics for future cultivation.

Researchers extracted the essential oils using steam distillation and discovered that while the oil yields fell within the expected range, the limonene content, a key compound of the essential oil, was significantly higher, reaching levels up to twice those reported in other parts of Europe.

Essential oils have shown potential as natural alternatives to create natural antimicrobials, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory agents. The study evaluated the antibacterial properties of the oils, with notable success. Oils from two specific locations were able to inhibit the growth of six out of eight bacterial strains tested. In addition to their antibacterial power, the oils demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects and were tested for their potential to fight cancer cells. 

Ultimately, the team selected the female juniper plants from one of the locations as the best candidates for future cultivation, offering high quality essential oils with promising health benefits. This discovery could pave the way for more efficient juniper farming and better quality essential oils in the future.

This post in an adaptation from this scientific publication published within the framework of BeonNAT.