Juniper oil

Juniper Oil. The best juniper oil [8012-91 -7] is obtained from the steam distillation of the ripe cmshed, dried berries of Juniperus communis L., a shmb which grows wild in many regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. However, most commercial juniperberry oil comes from the fermented fmits as a by-product of flavors for alcohoHc beverages such as gin, brandy, Hquors, cordials, and sloe-gin. This represents the actual commercial juniperberry oil, since very Httle tme juniperberry oil is produced. A comparison of the headspace volatiles of ripe juniperberries (85) with an authentic, freshly prepared juniperberry oil (86) is shown in Table 42. 

Wacholder, m. juniper, -beere,/. juniper berry, -branntwein, -gelst, m. (Holland) gin. -harz, n. juniper resin gum juniper (sandarac). -61, n. juniper oil (brenzhches) oil of cade, -spiritus, m. (Pharm.) spirit of juniper, -teer, m. juniper tar, oil of cade. 

The most important of these are whisky and gin. By whisky is meant the distillation product of the fermented worts obtained by diastatic saccharification of various cereals. Good whiskies are prepared by partial rectification of the first distillate. Gin is similarly prepared, but juniper berries are added to the still thus, it contains juniper oil as well as the prdinary impurities of alcohol. 

Juniper is the only profile included which the authors do not regard as hazardous. It is included because other sources have frequently flagged juniper as being contraindicated in both pregnancy and kidney disease. A vigorous attempt was made to trace the source of these contraindications. There is evidence that juniper berries are abortifacient, but there is no evidence thatjuniperoil is responsible for this effect No evidence could be found to support the contraindication of juniper oil in kidney disease. 

An ethanolic extract would contain some essential oil, but there is no evidence that the essential oil is responsible for these effects. Since the oil constitutes only some 1.5% of the raw material, and since all the major components of the essential oil are apparently non-toxic (see Chemical Index), it seems inconceivable that juniper oil could be responsible for the reproductive toxicity noted above. 

Comments There are two likely reasons why juniper oil acquired a tainted reputation, which has since been quoted and re-quoted. Firstly, there has undoubtedly been some confusion between juniper (Juniperus communis) and savin (Juniperus sabina). 

One research paper, published in 1928, has the sub-heading Emmenagogue Oils (Pennyroyal, Tansy and Juniper). In the body of the text it later states The popular idea has always been that pennyroyal, tansy, savin and other oils produce abortion It is very obvious that savin and juniper oils have been confused. Any such confusion would readily explain why juniper oil might have been thought of as being dangerous in pregnancy, since savin certainly is so. 

Secondly, if juniper berries are abortifacient and if the component responsible for this is unknown, then suspicion could naturally fall on the essential oil. Gin has a reputation as an abortifacient, but again juniper oil is very unlikely to be responsible for any such effects, since the average maximum concentration of juniper oil in alcoholic beverages is only 0.006%. 

The authors believe, therefore, that there is no reason to regard juniper oil as being hazardous in any way. 

Butani UAfshinnik A, Johnson J, Javaheri D, Peeks, German JB, Perez RV. Amelioration oftacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity in rats using juniper oil. Transplantation 2003 76 306-11. 

Apiole from parsley root, juniper oil, savin... 

There have been suggestions made that Juniper berries could cause renal irritation, and that they might also be an abortifacient. In the former case it is probable that the Juniper oil suspected of causing irritation had been adulterated with turpentine oil thus increasing the pinene content. In the latter case it would appear that Juniper was confused with the related Juniperus sabina or savin which is a notorious abortifacient. 

In an irritation test, irritation reactions were observed in 2 of 20 volunteers patch tested with pure juniper essential oil for 24 h. No irritation reactions were observed in volunteers treated with 8% juniper oil in petrolatum in a 48-hour closed patch test Qohnson 2001). 

Butani, L., A. Afshitiruk, J. Johnson, et al. 2003. Amelioration of tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity in rats using juniper oil. Transplantation 76(2) 306-311. 

The LD50 of juniper oil in rats is 6.28 g/kg after oral administration and could not be determined at doses up to 5 g/kg after topical administration (Opdyke 1979). 

Toxicity testing of 10% juniper oil (species unspecified, but likely J. communis) in corn oil gave LDjq values of 750 mg/kg after intraperitoneal administration to mice, 1200 mg/kg after intra-abdominal administration to guinea pigs, 700 mg/kg after intramuscular administration to mice, and 1440 mg/kg after subcutaneous administration to guinea pigs (Mambetsadykov et al. 1990). 

Amelioration of tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity was observed in rats fed diets containing 5% juniper oil for 5 weeks, with tacrolimus administered the last 2 weeks. In rats administered juniper oil, a complete reversal of the decrease in inulin clearance seen with tacrolimus was observed, along with relatively high levels of urinary prostaglandin F201 excretion (Butani et al. 2003). 

Schilcher, H., D. Emmrich, and C. Koehler. 1993. GLC comparison of commercially available juniper oils and their toxicological evaluation. PZ Wissenschaft 138(3-4) 85-91. 

Schilcher, H., and F. Leuschnerb. 1997. Studies of potential nephrotoxic effects of essential juniper oil. Arz. Forsch. 47(7) 855-858. 

Occurrence 30% (+)-S. in the Russian savin(e) or creeping juniper oil (Juniperus sabina, Cupressa-... 

Occurrence Tricyclene in juniper oil (Juniperus communis, Cupressaceae) and in the essential oil of the fir Abies balsamea (Pinaceae) ca. 1.3%. Teresantalol, ter-santalal, and teresantalic acid are isolated from East Indian sandalwood oil. sandalwood oil (Santalum album, Santalaceae). 

Juniperic acid lactone. See Hexadecalactone Juniper oil. See Juniperus communis oil Juniper tar Juniper tar oil. See Cade oil Juniperus communis. See Juniperus communis extract . Juniperus communis oil Juniperus communis extract CAS 84603-69-0 EINECS/ELINCS 283-268-3 FEMA 2603... 

Synonyms Juniper berry oil Juniper oil Juniperus communis... 

Enantioselective GC has found a wide variety of applications, for instance, studies of citronellol (Ravid et al., 1992) and a-terpineol (Ravid et al., 1995) in a variety of species and verbenone in rosemary oils (Ravid et al., 1997). Chiral phases were applied to the separation of linalool and linalyl acetate in a variety of plant species (Konig et al., 1992 Cassabianca et al., 1998), extracts of Angelica seeds and roots (Holm et al., 1997) and other monoterpenoids in geranium oils (Kreis Mosandl, 1993). Separation of monoterpenes in Scots pine and juniper oils (Hiltunen Laakso, 1995), Abies (Holm et al., 1994) and Picea (Persson et al., 1996) oils and limonene, linalool, citronellal and P-citronellol Cymbopogon winterianus)... 

These substances are commonly found in lavender, rose, geranium, and juniper oil. The monoterpene alcohols have antiseptic, antiviral, and antifungal... 

Synonyms oil of cade empyreumatic oil of juniper oil of juniper tar Haarlem oil Harlem oil Tilly drops Holland balsam silver drops silver balsam Kaparlem Caparlem cade oils juniper tar oil cade oil Juniperus oxycedrus L. oil cade oil rectified Uses use in perfumery is limited to situations where a smoky leathery, woody phenolic, dry and warm note is called for in forest notes, leather bases, fougeres, pine for men s fragrances and in the imitation of certain essential oils and oakmoss has certain disinfectant properties for which it can be utilized in soap perfumes, for example combined with thyme, origanum, clove, and similar phenolic oils (if the discoloration creates no serious problem) and with cassia oil, Melaleuca alternifolia emd Ocotea pretiosa in the flavoring of meat and seafood, to which it imparts the smoke note previously obtained in a regular smokehouse in eczema and psoriatic medications... 

Inhibitory Data of Juniper Oil Obtained in the Agar Diffusion Test... 

Coriander oil Dwarf pine oil Eucalyptus oil Juniper oil Lavender oil... 

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