Comparative Studies of Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of <i>Juniperus communis L.</i> Essential Oil From Different Localities in the Republic of Serbia

Abstract This work aims to determine the chemical composition of Juniperus communis (J. communis) essential oil from different localities in the Republic of Serbia and examine its antimicrobial and antioxidative effects together with chemometric analysis and principal component analysis. Essential oils were extracted via hydro distillation from the fruits of J. communis gathered from four different habitats in Serbia. Extraction yields ranged from 1.56 % in the sample from Bavanište to 1.98% in the sample from Mačkat. A total of 23 compounds in the four essential oil samples were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). The dominant compounds were α-pinene (32.68–51.10 %), β-phellandrene (6.43–24.77 %), and β-pinene (9.84–14.09 %). Compared with the other ecological factors, precipitation showed a strongly positive correlation (0.871) with essential oil yields. The four samples could be classified into two clusters based on the variance in their components. All the essential oils samples showed bioactivities. Among them, the essential oil from the Mačkat sample showed the best ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC 50 =237.74 μg/ml), DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC 50 =308.83 μg/ml) and antimicrobial activities. Consequently, the essential oil extracted from Mačkat has the potential for commercial viability in the food, cosmetic, or medical fields.