The study of drying effect on volatile leaf and berry (cone) oil of Juniperus excelsa M.B.

The volatile constituents of the leaf and berry of Juniperus excelsa, isolated bysteam distillation, were analyzed by GC-MS. Leaf and berry samples of juniper werecollected in summer from trees growing wild in Iran. Results indicated that the total oil (yield: 0.6% in leaves and 1.85 in berries) was consisted of almost 22 constituents including -Pinene, -elemene, trans-verbenol, verbenone, methyl carvacrol and -elemene. Comparison of volatile fresh and dried leaf and berry oil indicated that the drying affects some of the constituents,however the others do not. but others not. Analysis of fresh and dry leaf and berry oils with GC and GC-MS indicated that, -pinen as the most important constituent of leaf and berry oil was decreased after the drying, as it was decreased form 44 % in fresh leaves to 19.8 % in dried ones, and from 83.7 % in fresh berries to 75.8 % in dried ones. Whereas the amount of the other constituents in leaf and berry oil was increased after drying.