The Essential Oil Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Achillea spp. Growing in the Southwest of Iran

Abstract

The composition of essential oil isolated from <em>Achillea eriophora, Achillea</em><em> millefolium, </em><em>Achillea</em><em> biebersteinii </em>and<em> Achillea tenuifolia</em> growing wild in the south west of Iran, was analyzed. <em>A. eriophora, A.</em><em> millefolium</em> and <em>A. tenuifolia</em> essential oils were characterized by sabinene, 1, 8-cineole, terpinene-4-ol, ά –bisabolol, p-Cymene, β-pinene and α-pinene. The<em> A.</em><em> biebersteinii</em> essential oil was characterized by sabinene, borneol, camphor, piperitone and α-pinene. Antioxidant activity was analyzed using the 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging and Fe ³⁺ reducing power methods. Results indicated essential oil obtained from <em>A. eriophora, A. </em><em>millefolium, A. tenuifolia</em> and<em> A.</em><em> biebersteinii</em> exhibited a dose-dependent increase with a radical scavenging effect of 85.0%, 82.0% , 82.0% and 64.0% at 350 μg/ml, which are close to the 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl inhibition of the positive control Butylated Hydroxytoluene (88.0%) at the same concentration. It was shown that the <em>A.</em><em> biebersteinii</em> essential oil exhibited the weakest antioxidant effect than Butylated Hydroxytoluene or other <em>Achillea </em>spp. essential oils. In this study chamazulene, ά-bisabolol and ά –bisabolol oxide percentage were higher in <em>A. eriophora, A. </em><em>millefolium</em> and <em>A. tenuifolia</em> essential oil compared to <em>A.</em><em> biebersteinii</em> essential oil and these compounds improved antioxidant capacity of <em>Achillea</em> spp<em>.</em>