Biochemical components of Juniperus communis L. under the conditions of Northern Kazakhstan and the study of essential oils of some Juniperus L. species from the flora of Azerbaijan

Abstract

Given the widespread popularity of common juniper in folk and traditional medicine, as well as in landscape design, this study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition of Juniperus communis L. growing within the territory of the Burabay State National Nature Park in Northern Kazakhstan to determine its pharmacological potential, and to conduct a comparative study of the biochemical components of Juniperus communis L. and Juniperus sabina L. collected from the study areas Khizi, Altiagaj and Shabran, in Azerbaijan. The distribution and geobotanical characteristics of Juniperus communis L., growing in the Burabay State National Nature Park in northern Kazakhstan, were studied. The phytochemical composition of alcoholic extracts of common juniper included 54 components belonging to 15 classes of organic compounds: Ester, Carboxylic acid, Hydrocarbon, Lactone, Pyranone, Diketone, Ketone, Oxime, Phenol, Alcohol, Epoxide, Ether, Aldehyde, Disaccharide, and Anhydrosugar. Essential oils of 3 juniper species were obtained and their yield percentage was calculated. The yield of essential oil for Juniperus communis L. – 1.4% and and Juniperus sabina – 1.2%. The highest yield of essential oil was recorded in the type of multi-fruited juniper. The article presents the results of the analysis of the essential oil of Juniperus communis L. by gas chromatography and the composition of the essential oil. Chromatographic analysis revealed that thiujone (35.21%) and alpha-terpinene (19.78%) components had higher concentrations, while camphor (0.33%) and estragole (0.16%) components had the lowest concentrations. Turkish scientists have scientifically proven that the biochemical composition of juniper species growing in natural conditions depends on environmental conditions and soil characteristics, especially their richness in potassium (5.02-6.81%), and their macro and micro element composition. © 2026, Institute of Molecular Biology. All rights reserved.