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

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.