Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Moroccan Juniperus phoenicea.

The antibacterial activity of the essential oil from leaves of Juniperus phoenicea (Cupressaceae) and its chemical constituents were investigated in this study. The essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID), and gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Sixty-three volatile compounds were identified representing 52 to 92% of the total oil compositions. The main monoterpenes were a-pinene (26.7-78.7%) and 6-3carene (7.6-15.4%). The antibacterial activity of J. phoenicea essential oil, when tested against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, showed high activity against all bacteria tested, except Pseudomonas.