Antioxidant properties of essential oils extracted from three species of Moroccan juniperus

Essential oils from Juniperus thurifera, Juniperus oxycedrus and Juniperus phoenicea (Cupressaceae) collected in various areas in Morocco were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by CG and CG/SM. Twenty-four components were identified in the essential oils from the branches of Juniperus thurifera, forty seven from Juniperus oxycedrus and twenty-six from Juniperus phoenicea. The majority components obtained are pinenes and especially β-pinene (36.3%) for the essential oils from the branches of Juniperus thurifera and α-pinene for those of Juniperus oxycedrus (52.1%) and Juniperus phoenicea (64.2%). The antioxidant properties of oils were determined by the DPPH method and were compared to that found for the reference compound (BHT) and for other essential oils. (Resume d'auteur)