Effect of Mineral Fertelizer and Compost on Vegetative Growth and Essential Oil Content of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium l.) Plant.

The present paper compares the production of active substances in different subspecies of Achillea millefolium complex growing in the Czech Republic. Representatives of 7 subspecies of A. millefolium complex (A. setacea Waldst. et Kit., A. asplenifolia Vent., A. pratensis Saukel et Langer, A. collina Rchb., A. styriaca Saukel et Langer subsp. bohemica, A. millefolium subsp. millefolium, A. pannonica Scheele) and several natural hybrids of Achillea L. were collected from 75 natural habitats in different parts of the Czech Republic. Plants were cultivated to investigate plant growth and contents of some effective compounds during 1997–1999. Development of plants was divided into 7 typical phenological phases. From the point of view of active substance production, the stage of early flowering was found as the most suitable phase for Achillea (yarrow) harvest. Air-dried powdered flowering heads were analysed for essential oil, tannin and flavonoid content. The essential oil content was obtained by hydro-distillation; the composition of essential oil was analysed by means of gas-liquid chromatography. The total essential oil content of the examined yarrow species ranged between 0.05% and 0.88% of dry matter; ecotypes of A. collina and some of its hybrids showed the best results with the highest content of deep blue essential oil. Content of tannins was determined according to PhBs IV; flavonoids were expressed as an apigenin content by an internal method of pharmaceutical company IVAX ČR, a. s., Opava. The total flavonoid content was in the range of 1.37–3.97%; the content of tannins ranged from 0.02 to 0.64%. The highest content of flavonoids was determined in the sample of A. styriaca subsp. bohemica (3.97%); the highest content of tannins was found in an A. asplenifolia sample (0.64%).  

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Essential oil content, chamazulene content and antioxidative properties of Achillea millefolium agg. extracts from Slovenia

Acta agriculturae Slovenica ◽

10.14720/aas.2021.117.2.2072 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 117 (2) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Boris TURK ◽

Dea BARIČEVIČ ◽

Franc BATIČ

Keyword(s):

Essential Oil ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Oil Content ◽

Steam Distillation ◽

Biochemical Properties ◽

Achillea Millefolium ◽

Antioxidative Capacity ◽

Distillation Method ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Diploid Taxon

The study aimed to clarify some biochemical properties, important for the phytopharmaceutical use of yarrow from the A. millefolium agg.. The study comprised 41 populations from Slovenia. The most abundant taxa were included: Achillea millefolium L., A. roseoalba Ehrend., A. collina (Wirtg.) Becker ex Rchb., A. distans Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd., A. pannonica Scheele, A. pratensis Saukel & R.Länger and A. nobilis L. Assessment of essential oil content with the steam distillation method showed no significant difference between taxa. Essential oil content was the lowest in A. collina (6.50 ml kg-1 of dry matter), followed by A. pannonica (7.75 ml kg-1), A. distans (8.50 ml kg-1), A. nobilis (9.40 ml kg-1), A. pratensis (9.65 ml kg-1), A. nobilis × A. millefolium (12.25 ml kg-1), A. roseoalba (12.75 ml kg-1) and A. millefolium (13.50 ml kg-1). The content of azulenes was determined by photometrical measurement of chamazulene in essential oil extracts. Chamazulene was only present in the diploid taxon and one tetraploid taxon, i.e., A. roseoalba (0.16 % of dry plant mass) and A. collina (0.05 %). The differences in antioxidative capacity of extracts from different taxa were not statistically significant, so we can assume that specific antioxidative capacity is not bound to a specific taxon or ploidy level.

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