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Research Article

Antibacterial and antifungal activity of juniper berry oil and its selected components

  1. Natalia Filipowicz1,
  2. Marcin Kamiński2,
  3. Julianna Kurlenda3,
  4. Monika Asztemborska4,
  5. J. Renata Ochocka1,*

Article first published online: 27 MAR 2003

DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1110

Issue

Phytotherapy Research

Phytotherapy Research

Volume 17, Issue 3, pages 227–231, March 2003

Additional Information

How to Cite

Filipowicz, N., Kamiński, M., Kurlenda, J., Asztemborska, M. and Ochocka, J. R. (2003), Antibacterial and antifungal activity of juniper berry oil and its selected components. Phytother. Res., 17: 227–231. doi: 10.1002/ptr.1110

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland

  2. 2

    Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of Medical University of Gdańsk and University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland

  3. 3

    Department of Clinical Bacteriology, Regional Hospital of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland

  4. 4

    Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland

*Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Gdańsk, Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 27 MAR 2003
  2. Article first published online: 27 MAR 2003
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 17 DEC 2001
  4. Manuscript Received: 6 JUN 2001

Funded by

  • Stefan Batory Foundation
  • State Committee for Scientific Research (4PO5F00818)

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Keywords:

  • Juniperus communis L.;
  • juniper berry oil;
  • antibacterial and antifungal activity;
  • antibiotic resistant strains

Abstract

Juniper berry oil is stated to possess a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities and its monographs are included in some National Pharmacopoeias. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of the oil was reported by some authors. In our study we estimated the antibacterial and antifungal activity of three different juniper berry oils and their main components. All the micro-organisms used in this experiment were isolated from patients of Regional Hospital of Gdańsk and some of them showed resistance against commonly used antibiotics. Only one of the oils (labelled A) revealed good antimicrobial properties. None of the single oil components was a stronger antibacterial and antifungal inhibitor than the oil A itself. Our data suggest that the antimicrobial activity of juniper oil A is the result of either the specific composition of the oil A (highest concentration of (−)-α-pinene, p-cymene and β-pinene) or activity of a single non-identified compound. The presence of an adulterant in the oil was excluded. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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