EFSA Compendium of Botanicals

Draft - work in progress

Juniper, berry (as plant) // Juniperus communis L.

Family:: Cupressaceae
Approval state:: Approved
Number of articles retrieved:: 1974
Number of processed references:: 12

Compositions

#1: myrcene in extract of fruit (berry) #2: myrcene in essential oil of fruit (berry) #3: myrcene in essential oil of fruit (berry) #4: isocupressic acid in needles #5: podophyllotoxin in leaves #6: deoxyodophyllotoxin in leaves #7: communic acid (diterpene) in branches and needles #8: deoxypodophyllotoxin in branches and needles #9: isocupressic acid in branches and needles #10: umbelliferone in leaves #11: deoxypodophyllotoxin in aerial parts #12: isocupressic acid in aerial parts #13: podophyllotoxin in leaves #14: deoxyododophyllotoxin in leaves #15: myrcene in essential oil from leaves (needles) #16: cinnamaldehyde in aerial parts

Endpoint Studies

#1: antifertility and abortifacient activity in rats #2: Daily feeding of needles caused abortion in pregnant cows after 3-4 days

Genotoxicity

Composition #1: Proenca da Cunha, A., Roque, Odete L. Rodrigues. Chemical composition of the essential oil of Juniperus communis, variety Nana. revista portuguesa de farmacia, 1989, vol. 39, no. 3, p. 18–20. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Fruit unspecified (as part-nature) (A067D)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

alcohol and water
Substance:

myrcene (RF-00003503-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Gaschromatography (GC) (F037A)
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

5.4
Internal remarks:

myrcene in extract of fruit (berry)

Composition #2: Proenca da Cunha, A., Roque, Odete L. Rodrigues. Chemical composition of the essential oil of Juniperus communis, variety Nana. revista portuguesa de farmacia, 1989, vol. 39, no. 3, p. 18–20. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Fruit unspecified (as part-nature) (A067D)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Essential oil (as part-nature) (A166Q)
Additional extraction description:

steam distillation
Substance:

myrcene (RF-00003503-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Gaschromatography (GC) (F037A)
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

8.5
Internal remarks:

myrcene in essential oil of fruit (berry)

Composition #3: Butkiene, Rita., Nivinskiene, Ona., Mockute, Danute. Chemical composition of unripe and ripe berry essential oils of Juniperus communis L. growing wild in Vilnius district. chemija, 2004, vol. 15, no. 4, p. 57–63. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Fruit unspecified (as part-nature) (A067D)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Essential oil (as part-nature) (A166Q)
Additional extraction description:

unripe and ripe berries
Substance:

myrcene (RF-00003503-PAR)
Analytical method code:

GC-MS (F046A)
Analytical method - additional description:

and GC
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

4.8-19.6
Internal remarks:

myrcene in essential oil of fruit (berry)

Composition #4: Gardner, DR., James, LF. Pine needle abortion in cattle: Analysis of isocupressic acid in North American gymnosperms . phytochemical analysis, 1999, vol. 10, no. 3, p. 132–136. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1565(199905/06)10:3<132::AID-PCA444>3.3.CO;2-2. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methylene chloride
Substance:

isocupressic acid (RF-00003654-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Gaschromatography (GC) (F037A)
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Result expression:

Dry matter (B002A)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

2.05
Internal remarks:

isocupressic acid in needles

Composition #5: Renouard, Sullivan., Lopez, Tatiana., Hendrawati, Oktavia., Dupre, Patricia., Doussot, Joel., Falguieres, Annie., Ferroud, Clotilde., Hagege, Daniel., Lamblin, Frederic., Laine, Eric., Hano, Christophe. Podophyllotoxin and Deoxypodophyllotoxin in Juniperus bermudiana and 12 Other Juniperus Species: Optimization of Extraction, Method Validation, and Quantification . journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2011, vol. 59, no. 15, p. 8101–8107. DOI: 10.1021/jf201410p. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol, ethanol, acetone, chloroform, or petroleum ether
Substance:

podophyllotoxin (RF-00004001-PAR)
Analytical method code:

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)/Liquid Chromatography (LC) (F018A)
Result unit:

Milligram/gram (G060A)
Result expression:

Dry matter (B002A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

0.02
Internal remarks:

podophyllotoxin in leaves

Composition #6: Renouard, Sullivan., Lopez, Tatiana., Hendrawati, Oktavia., Dupre, Patricia., Doussot, Joel., Falguieres, Annie., Ferroud, Clotilde., Hagege, Daniel., Lamblin, Frederic., Laine, Eric., Hano, Christophe. Podophyllotoxin and Deoxypodophyllotoxin in Juniperus bermudiana and 12 Other Juniperus Species: Optimization of Extraction, Method Validation, and Quantification . journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2011, vol. 59, no. 15, p. 8101–8107. DOI: 10.1021/jf201410p. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol, ethanol, acetone, chloroform, or petroleum ether
Substance:

deoxypodophyllotoxin (RF-00003769-PAR)
Analytical method code:

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)/Liquid Chromatography (LC) (F018A)
Result unit:

Milligram/gram (G060A)
Result expression:

Dry matter (B002A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

2.1
Internal remarks:

deoxyodophyllotoxin in leaves

Composition #7: Carpenter, Caitlyn D., O'Neill, Taryn., Picot, Nadia., Johnson, John A., Robichaud, Gilles A., Webster, Duncan., Gray, Christopher A. Anti-mycobacterial natural products from the Canadian medicinal plant Juniperus communis . journal of ethnopharmacology, 2012, vol. 143, no. 2, p. 695–700. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.07.035. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Aerial part of plants (as part-nature) (A166F)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol
Substance:

Diterpenes Diterpenes (RF-00004378-PAR)
Additional substance description:

communic acid
Analytical method code:

Chromatographic tests (F015A)
Analytical method - additional description:

HPLC
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

communic acid (diterpene) in branches and needles

Composition #8: Carpenter, Caitlyn D., O'Neill, Taryn., Picot, Nadia., Johnson, John A., Robichaud, Gilles A., Webster, Duncan., Gray, Christopher A. Anti-mycobacterial natural products from the Canadian medicinal plant Juniperus communis . journal of ethnopharmacology, 2012, vol. 143, no. 2, p. 695–700. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.07.035. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Aerial part of plants (as part-nature) (A166F)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol
Substance:

deoxypodophyllotoxin (RF-00003769-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Chromatographic tests (F015A)
Analytical method - additional description:

HPLC
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

deoxypodophyllotoxin in branches and needles

Composition #9: Carpenter, Caitlyn D., O'Neill, Taryn., Picot, Nadia., Johnson, John A., Robichaud, Gilles A., Webster, Duncan., Gray, Christopher A. Anti-mycobacterial natural products from the Canadian medicinal plant Juniperus communis . journal of ethnopharmacology, 2012, vol. 143, no. 2, p. 695–700. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.07.035. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Aerial part of plants (as part-nature) (A166F)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol
Substance:

isocupressic acid (RF-00003654-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Chromatographic tests (F015A)
Analytical method - additional description:

HPLC
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

isocupressic acid in branches and needles

Composition #10: Och, Marek., Och, Anna., Ciesla, Lukasz., Kocki, Janusz., Bogucka-Kocka, Anna. Screening Various Juniperus Species for the Occurrence of Umbelliferone by Means of Bivariate Multiple Development Thin-Layer Chromatography . jpc-journal of planar chromatography-modern tlc, 2013, vol. 26, no. 5, p. 421–426. DOI: 10.1556/JPC.26.2013.5.6. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol 100%
Substance:

umbelliferone (RF-00004096-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Standard Chromatographic tests (paper- thin layer- and column chromatography) (F016A)
Result unit:

Milligram/100 gram (G057A)
Result expression:

Dry matter (B002A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

1.45 - 88.3
Internal remarks:

umbelliferone in leaves

Composition #11: Benzina, Sami., Harquail, Jason., Jean, Stephanie., Beauregard, Annie-Pier., Colquhoun, Caitlyn D., Carroll, Madison., Bos, Allyson., Gray, Christopher A., Robichaud, Gilles A. Deoxypodophyllotoxin Isolated from Juniperus communis Induces Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells . anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry, 2015, vol. 15, no. 1, p. 79–88. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Aerial part of plants (as part-nature) (A166F)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol
Substance:

deoxypodophyllotoxin (RF-00003769-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Chromatographic tests (F015A)
Analytical method - additional description:

HPLC, spectophotometry
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

deoxypodophyllotoxin in aerial parts

Composition #12: Benzina, Sami., Harquail, Jason., Jean, Stephanie., Beauregard, Annie-Pier., Colquhoun, Caitlyn D., Carroll, Madison., Bos, Allyson., Gray, Christopher A., Robichaud, Gilles A. Deoxypodophyllotoxin Isolated from Juniperus communis Induces Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells . anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry, 2015, vol. 15, no. 1, p. 79–88. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Aerial part of plants (as part-nature) (A166F)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol
Substance:

isocupressic acid (RF-00003654-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Chromatographic tests (F015A)
Analytical method - additional description:

HPLC, spectophotometry
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

isocupressic acid in aerial parts

Composition #13: Och, Marek., Och, Anna., Ciesla, Lukasz., Kubrak, Tomasz., Pecio, Lukasz., Stochmal, Anna., Kocki, Janusz., Bogucka-Kocka, Anna. Study of cytotoxic activity, podophyllotoxin, and deoxypodophyllotoxin content in selected Juniperus species cultivated in Poland . pharmaceutical biology, 2015, vol. 53, no. 6, p. 831–837. DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2014.943246. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol 100%
Substance:

podophyllotoxin (RF-00004001-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Standard Chromatographic tests (paper- thin layer- and column chromatography) (F016A)
Result unit:

Milligram/100 gram (G057A)
Result expression:

Dry matter (B002A)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

2.2 - 12.5
Internal remarks:

podophyllotoxin in leaves

Composition #14: Och, Marek., Och, Anna., Ciesla, Lukasz., Kubrak, Tomasz., Pecio, Lukasz., Stochmal, Anna., Kocki, Janusz., Bogucka-Kocka, Anna. Study of cytotoxic activity, podophyllotoxin, and deoxypodophyllotoxin content in selected Juniperus species cultivated in Poland . pharmaceutical biology, 2015, vol. 53, no. 6, p. 831–837. DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2014.943246. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

methanol 100%
Substance:

deoxypodophyllotoxin (RF-00003769-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Standard Chromatographic tests (paper- thin layer- and column chromatography) (F016A)
Result unit:

Milligram/100 gram (G057A)
Result expression:

Dry matter (B002A)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

37.1 - 78.1
Internal remarks:

deoxyododophyllotoxin in leaves

Composition #15: Dahmane, Dahmane., Dob, Tahar., Chelghoum, Chaabane. Essential oil composition and enantiomeric distribution of some monoterpenoid components of Juniperus communis L. from Algeria . journal of essential oil research, 2016, vol. 28, no. 4, p. 348–356. DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2015.1133458. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Essential oil (as part-nature) (A166Q)
Additional extraction description:

hydrodistillation
Substance:

myrcene (RF-00003503-PAR)
Analytical method code:

GC-MS (F046A)
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

29
Internal remarks:

myrcene in essential oil from leaves (needles)

Composition #16: Mouahid, Adil., Dufour, Cyril., Badens, Elisabeth. Supercritical CO2 extraction from endemic Corsican plants; comparison of oil composition and extraction yield with hydrodistillation method . journal of co2 utilization, 2017, vol. 20, p. 263–273. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2017.06.003. [DOI link]

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Aerial part of plants (as part-nature) (A166F)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Super-critical gas extraction (A0BZQ)
Additional extraction description:

flower and leaves
Substance:

cinnamaldehyde (RF-00003742-PAR)
Analytical method code:

GC-MS (F046A)
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

2.68
Internal remarks:

cinnamaldehyde in aerial parts

Endpoint study #1: [Anonymous]. Final report on the safety assessment of Juniperus communis Extract, Juniperus oxycedrus Extract, Juniperus oxycedrus Tar, Juniperus phoenicea extract, and Juniperus virginiana Extract. . international journal of toxicology, 2001, vol. 20 Suppl 2, p. 41–56. .

Study relevance:

Human health
Plant part:

Unspecified (A07XD)
Preparation/Extraction method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional plant/substance description:

ethanol
Type of toxicological test:

reproduction toxicity (CHD009TT)
Tested organism:

Rat (as animal) (A0CNV)
Strain of test organism:

Swiss (CHD005ST)
Sex:

Female
Route of exposure:

ORAL: UNSPECIFIED (OECD2234PL)
Exposure duration:

7.0
Unit of exposure duration:

Day (G134A)
Number of organisms dosed:

20
Control groups used:

yes, concurrent vehicle
Endpoint measured:

Dose level (CHD014EP)
Concentration unit:

Milligrams per kilogram body weight (G225A)
Effect concentration:

300
Critical effect:

REPRODUCTIVE (TOX05A)
Target tissue:

urogenital: Uterus (TT052A)
Effect description:

dose-dependent decreased number of implantation sides and reduced number of embryos when dosing in various days in pregnancy
Effect or parameter linked to the endpoint:

reproduction (CHD014BE)
Internal remarks:

antifertility and abortifacient activity in rats

Endpoint study #2: Gardner, DR., Panter, KE., James, LF., Stegelmeier, BL. Abortifacient effects of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and common juniper (Juniperus communis) on cattle . veterinary and human toxicology, 1998, vol. 40, no. 5, p. 260–263. .

Study relevance:

Animal (target species) health
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Additional plant/substance description:

2% Isocupressic acid in needles
Type of toxicological test:

reproduction toxicity (CHD009TT)
Tested organism:

Cattle (as animal) (A057E)
Sex:

Female
Route of exposure:

ORAL: GAVAGE (OECD2231PL)
Exposure duration:

3.0
Unit of exposure duration:

Day (G134A)
Number of organisms dosed:

2
Control groups used:

no
Endpoint measured:

Dose level (CHD014EP)
Concentration unit:

Kilograms per day (G239A)
Effect concentration:

< 5.5
Target tissue:

urogenital: Uterus (TT052A)
Effect description:

pregnant cows (gestational day) aborted after 3 and 4 days respectively
Effect or parameter linked to the endpoint:

reproduction (CHD014BE)
Internal remarks:

Daily feeding of needles caused abortion in pregnant cows after 3-4 days