Comparing the essential oils percentage and compositions in different organs of Achillea wilhelmsii C. Koch

Yarrow as a medicinal plant belongs to the family of Asteraceae that its' essential oils are used in health and pharmaceutical industries. In the present study, in order to evaluate and comparethe quantity and quality of essential oils of flowering shoots and individual plant parts (flowers, leaves and stems), Achillea wilhelmsii C. Koch plants were collected in flowering stage from the Qushchi in Urmia in West Azerbaijan province during June 2017. After drying the plant, the essential oils of the organs were carried out using Steam-distilled Clevenger. The Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was used to analyze the essential oils. The results showed that the different organs differ in terms of percentage and essential oils composition. The highest oil yields were obtained from flowers (0.70%) and flowering shoots (0.62 %), leaves (0.50%), respectively and the lowest oil yield was obtained from stems (0.16%). Totally 22 essential compounds in flowering shoots, 12 essential compounds in flower, 9 essential compounds in leaves and 7 essential compounds in shoots were identified. The compounds of Camphor, Camphene, Borneol, 1.8-Cineole, Beta-Eudesmo, Alpha-Pinene and Caryophyllene oxide were the dominant components of the essential oils of organs. According to the results, the use of flowering branches are recommended for essential oil extraction due to the presence of higher percentages and more essential oil compounds.