Effect of Latitude and Altitude on the Terpenoid and Soluble Phenolic Composition of Juniper (Juniperus communis) Needles and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial Activity in the Boreal Zone

Abstract

The demand for dry juniper (Juniperus communis) needles as a raw material for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries has increased rapidly in recent years. Juniper needles are known to be rich in terpenoids and phenolics, but their chemical composition and antibacterial properties have not been well-characterized. In this study, we describe the soluble phenolic and terpenoid composition of juniper needles collected in Finland (n = 125) and demonstrate that the concentration of these compounds clearly increased with latitude and altitude with, however, a stronger latitudinal effect (a higher content of monoterpenoids, proanthocyanidins, and flavonols in northern latitudes). Analysis of methanolic extracts showed quite good activity against both antibiotic-sensitive and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and suggested an important role of the soluble phenolic fraction. Finally, we demonstrate the relative lack of toxicity of juniper extracts on keratinocytes and fibroblastic cells, raising the possibility of their use in preventing bacterial skin infection.

Herbivores and variation in the composition of specific phenolics of boreal coniferous trees: a search for patterns

“…Räisänen et al 2008) rather than the more detailed documentation of individual phenolics. Martz et al (2009), who worked on juniper needles, grouped all specific phenolics into flavone, flavonole and proanthocyanidins. For J. communis and Pinus contorta, our study is simply the first to provide any detailed information about the phenolic composition of these twigs.…”

Essential‐Oil Variability in Natural Populations of Pinus mugoTurra from the Julian Alps

“…Thec omposition and content of an essential oil is not only controlled genetically,b ut it is also strongly affected by differente nvironmental factors.B oth environmental and genotypic factors,a nd their interactions,a ffect the composition and contento fe ssential oils.H owever,s ome authors emphasize that in the hierarchy of factors driving terpene metabolism, ag enetically determined basal allocationm itigates the upstream environmental control on plant secondary metabolism [33].A mong abiotic factors reported to altert erpene production in plants are climate type [34] [35],l atitude and altitude [36][37][38], solare xposition and radiation [39],s oil types [33] [40], ultraviolet radiation [41],water stress [42], temperature [43] [44], and ozone exposure [45]. In addition,itisimportant to keep in mind that all these factors mix together.…”

Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Capacity of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) Leaves in Northern Europe Following Foliar Development and Along Environmental Gradients

“…Consequently, the quality and quantity of phenolics are expected to differ among bilberry leaves growing in different parts of the country. Previous studies have shown that the phenolic content in juniper (Juniperus communis) and birch (Betula pubescens) leaves increases with latitude (Stark et al, 2008;Martz et al, 2009). However, although the effect of altitude and/or latitude on AC content of bilberry fruit has been previously shown (Lätti et al, 2008;Rieger et al, 2008), no data are available about changes of phenolic composition in bilberry leaves along large geographical gradients.…”