Essential oil composition in different plant parts of Achillea biebersteinii Afam

The genus Achillea, with 19 different species, is a perennial and herbaceous plant with aromatic properties. Achillea biebersteinii Afam. has medicinal properties and commonly used as a medicinal plant. Different parts of Achillea have anti-bacterial, anti- inflammation, anti- allergy and antioxidant usage in tradition and modern medicine. In order to compare the quality and quantity of essential oils of flowering shoot, the seeds of Achillea were collected from Golestan province and cultivated in the farm of Abolrz Research Station. Aerial parts (flower, leaf and shoot) were separately collected and dried in shade condition. The essential oils were extracted using hydro-distillation method and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The highest and lowest essential oil yield was recorded for leaf (0.74%) and shoot (0.03%), respectively. The total essential oil yield of flowering shoots and flowers were 0.6% and 0.34%, respectively. The major components in the shoot essential oil were 1,8-cineole (15.1%), camphor (24.0%); in leaves:1,8-cineole (40.4%), artemisia ketone (28.1%), camphor (10.3%); in flowers: 1,8-cineole (41.3%), (24.3%), camphor (15.6%); and in flowering shoots: 1,8-cineole (35.4%), artemisia ketone (30.6%), camphor (16.2%). Based on the results of this research, the highest amount of artemisia ketone and camphor were found in the flowering shoots and the highest amount of 1,8-cineole in leaves and flowers.