Phytochemical evaluation and comparison of essential oil and antioxidant activity of Juniperus sabina L. branches in different habitats of Mazandaran and Golestan provinces

Juniperus sabina L. is one of the valuable medicinal plants belonging to Cupressaceae family which has precious pharmaceutical effects such as anti-cancer properties, prevention of cell division, anti-malarial and anti-fertility. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the quantity and quality of essential oil compounds as well as antioxidant activity in the brunchlets of Juniperus sabina. samples were collected from three habitats of Ramsar, Ramyan and Tooskestan in the summer of 2018. The essential oils compounds were analyzed by using GC-FID and GC-MS. Both TAOC and DPPH methods were used to evaluate the antioxidant potential and the colorimetric method (Folin-ciocalteu) for measuring total phenol. The highest amount of total phenol in Ramsar sample (3.33 ± 0.19 mg GAE/g dw), DPPH radical scavenging in Ramyan sample (43.1±4.99%) and total antioxidant in Tooskestan sample (19.5±0.12 mg ascorbic acid /g dw) was observed. Sabinene was one of the major constituents in all samples (12.5, 49.8 and 58 % respectively). The notable finding of this study was the presence of myrtenyl-acetate (72.6%) in the Ramsar sample that has been never reported in this plant. Due to the significant difference observed in the essential oil composition of Ramsar, further studies on this plant is suggested and it may be introduced as a new chemotype in the future.