Abstract
Grecian juniper (Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb.) is an evergreen tree and a rare plant found in very few locations in southern Bulgaria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical content and antioxidant potential of J. excelsa unripe and ripe galbuli from three different locations in Bulgaria. The essential oil content ranged between 1.9% and 5.1%, while the lipid fraction yield was between 4.5% and 9.1%. The content of total chlorophyll was 185.4–273.4 μg/g dw. The total carotenoid content ranged between 41.7 and 50.4 μg/g dw of ripe galbuli, and protein content was between 13.6% and 16.4%. Histidine (5.5 and 8.0 mg/g content range) and lysine (4.0 and 6.1 mg/g) were the major essential amino acids. The antioxidant potential of the 95% and 70% ethanol extracts was analyzed using four different methods. A positive correlation between the antioxidant potential and phenolic content of the galbuli was found. The results obtained in this study demonstrated the differences in phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of J. excelsa galbuli as a function of maturity stage and collection locality.
Highlights
The genus Juniperus (Cupressaceae) contains more than 60 species, widespread, mainly in the northern hemisphere including North America, Europe, and Asia [1]
The protein content was the highest (16.4%) in the unripe J. excelsa galbuli samples collected from location 2
The differences in the amount of the protein fraction in the unripe and ripe galbuli of J. excelsa may be due to the difference in the reported moisture of the samples, as there was a relationship between the amount of moisture and the proteins contained in their composition
Summary
The genus Juniperus (Cupressaceae) contains more than 60 species, widespread, mainly in the northern hemisphere including North America, Europe, and Asia [1]. Juniperus excelsa is an evergreen tree species up to a height of 15 m, with medicinal and landscaping importance. Plants 2020, 9, 1207 of J. excelsa form endemic juniper forests, and they are very rare in the European countries. The species is included in the IUCN Red list [3] and Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria under the “Critically Endangered” category [4]. In Bulgaria, J. excelsa is a rare plant species protected by the Biological Diversity Law in Bulgaria [4]. The locations of J. excelsa populations in Bulgaria represent the northernmost areal of distribution of this species [4]. In Bulgaria, the plant grows in places with
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