Issn print: 2231-1866 issn online: 2231-1874 Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Algerian Juniperus phoenicea

ISSN Print: 2231-1866

ISSN Online: 2231-1874
Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity

of Algerian Juniperus phoenicea L. Extracts

Fouad Menaceur, Ahmed Benchabane, Mohamed Hazzit Aoumeur Baaliouamer .

Département de Technologie Alimentaire, Ecole Nationale

Supérieurea Agronomique (ENSA), 16200 El-Harrach, Algeria

Centre de Recherche scientifique et technique en Analyses

Physico-Chimiques (CRAPC), BP 248 Alger RP 16004, Alger

Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene (USTHB), Faculté de Chimie,

Laboratoire d’Analyse Organique Fonctionnelle, BP 32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, Algeria

Received 23 October 2012; accepted in revised form 14 December 2012

Abstract: Essential oils of Algerian Juniperus phoenicea L. obtained from leaves and berries by hydrodistillation (HD) and from berries by Solvent Free Microwave Assisted Extraction (SFMAE) were investigated using both capillary GC and GC-MS techniques. The monoterpene hydrocarbons constituted the

most prominent group of constituents (43.2-86.5 %) in the three essential oils with α-pinene (34.4-80.8 %) as the main compound. Leaves ethanol extract was analyzed in terms of the dosage in total phenolic and flavonoids contents. Gallic acid equivalent representing total phenolic constituents of the extract was 308 mg GAE/g; and quercetin equivalent representing total flavonoids was 20 mg QE/g. The antioxidant potential of the samples was evaluated using two separate methods, inhibition of free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)

and reducing power. All essential oils showed a relatively weak antioxidant capacity. No improvement of the antioxidant activity by SFMAE technique has been detected. J. phoenicea ethanol extract was found to be remarkably effective toward DPPH inhibition, compared to chemical antioxidant BHT (IC = 9.8±0.1 and 28±0.7 mg/l, respectively); for reducing power test it has also exhibited high activity in comparison with all studied essential oils and the chemical standard (BHT).

Key words: Juniperus phoenicea, essential oil, ethanol extracts, antioxidant activity,Microwave.