THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE WOOD AND BARK EXTRACTIVES OF JUNIPERUS HORIZONTALIS MOENCH

Abstract

The wood of creeping juniper was found to contain about 10% acetone-soluble material. Of this, about one quarter was ligroin soluble and, from this portion, thujopsene, α-cedrene, cuparene, cedrol, widdrol, β-sitosterol, esters of fatty acids and β-sitosterol, the lignan savinin, and the recently discovered diterpene communic acid were isolated. Three unidentified hydrocarbons and several unknown alcohols and ketones were also obtained in small amounts. The ether-insoluble portion consisted of intractable polyphenolic material. The composition of the ligroin-soluble extract of the bark of this shrub resembled that of the wood in many respects. Neither the wood nor the bark extractives contained thujaplicins in detectable amounts.