Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #234654
Title: Screening and Testing Phytochemicals in Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) for Development of Potential Entrepreneurial Opportunities

Author
item CHUNG-HO, LIN - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
item THOMPSON, BRIAN - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
item HSIEH, HSIEH - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
item Lerch, Robert
item Kremer, Robert
item CERNUSCA, MIHAELA - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
item GOLD, MICHAEL - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

Submitted to: North American Agroforestry Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2009
Publication Date: 6/1/2009
Citation: Chung-Ho, L., Thompson, B.M., Hsieh, H.Y., Lerch, R.N., Kremer, R.J., Cernusca, M.M., Gold, M.A. 2009. Screening and Testing Phytochemicals in Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) for Development of Potential Entrepreneurial Opportunities [abstract]. In: Gold, M.A., Hall, M.M., editors. Agroforestry Comes of Age: Putting Science in Practice. Proceedings of North American Agroforestry Conference, May 31-June 3, 2009, Columbia, Missouri. p. 109-114.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) is often considered a “trash or nuisance” tree. In some states, this species has been declared invasive and management strategies have been adopted to destroy it. However, value-added phytochemical products from eastern redcedar have the potential to create new industries in regions such as Missouri with an abundant redcedar resource. As a first step toward the development of such industries, it is essential to characterize, and quantify the composition of the individual phytochemicals within various redcedar tissues with modern chromatographic, spectroscopic and bioassay technologies, followed by an evaluation of their commercial applications in agricultural, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. In this study, the distilled cedar oil, cedar sawdust and various tissues including roots, leaves, fruits, branches, sapwoods, and heartwood were collected and intensively extracted with solvents. Separation and fractionation of the phytochemicals with a range of polarity were performed by liquid/liquid extractions followed by a reverse-phase liquid chromatography. Bioassays were performed to evaluate the potent biological activities (herbicidal, antifungal, antibacterial, antitermitic, pesticidal, antitumoral activities, etc.) in each fraction. The potent compounds in the extracts showing high bioactivities will be isolated and further purified for chemical characterization and structure elucidation purpose.