Labdane-type diterpenoids from Juniperus communis needles

[Display omitted] •127 phytochemical constituents of the needles of Juniperus communis were investigated with imbricatolic and imbricatalic acid as the most abundants.•3 Labdane-type diterpenoids are new natural products.•17 compounds have no precedent in Juniperus genus and 32 are described for the first time from Juniperus communis. The chemical composition of lipophilic extractives from Juniperus communis used for cosmetic, medicinal and food additives was studied. Herein we report the extraction of labdane-type diterpenoids from the needles of the common juniper (Juniperus communis ssp. communis var. communis L.), and identification of them as the major class of compounds in this species. Furthermore, and to the best of our knowledge we provide the first-ever report some of these compounds (nor-16- imbricatolic, nor-16-acetylimbricatolic and acetylimbricatolic acids) as natural compounds. Imbricataloic and imbricatolic acids were the most abundant compounds, accounting for 65% of the total extract. We also found long-chain secondary alcohols (n-alkan-10-ols) and secondary/secondary alkanediols (4,10-, 5,10-, 6,10-, 7,10-), which we report here for the first time ever in the genus Juniperus. In total, we identified 127 compounds: of these, 48 (nonacosan-10- -tocopherols and lignans) are described here for the first time in Juniperus and 54 (including alkanols, phytol, sterols and flavonoids), for the first time in common juniper.