The essential oil of Achillea distans W. et K. flower heads was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Altogether 43 components in concentrations more than 0.1% were identified representing 93.5% of the oil composition. The main constituents were 1,8-cineole (16.8%), trans-thujone (9.8%), sabinene (8.2%), borneol (7.5%), β-pinene (6.5%), and camphor (5.8%). The oil showed moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, and weak activity against Salmonella typhimurium, Proteus vulgaris, and Escherichia coli.
SaukelJ., AnchevM., GuoY.P., VitkovaA., NedelchevaA., GoranovaV., KonakchievA., LambrouM., NejatiS., RauchesteinerF., EhrendorferF. (2003) Comments on the biosystematics of Achillea (Asteraceae-Antemideae) in Bulgaria. Phytologia Balcanica, 9, 361–400.
2.
PetkovV. (1982) Modern phytotherapy.State Publishing House ‘Medicina i Fizkultura’, Sofia.
3.
TodorovaM., TrendafilovaA., MikhovaB., VitkovaA., DuddechH. (2007) Terpenoids from Achillea distans Waldst & Kit ex Willed. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 35, 852–858.
4.
Valant-VetsheraK.M., WollenweberE. (1988) Leaf flavonoids of the Achillea millefolium group part II: Distribution patterns of free aglycones in leaf exudates. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 16, 605–614.
5.
HéthelyiÉ, DánosB., TétényiP. (1989) Phytochemical studies on the essential oils of species belonging to the Achillea genus by gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry. Biomedical and Environmental Mass Spectrometry, 18, 629–636.
6.
MaffeiM., GermanoF., DogliaG. (1993) Essential oils, chromosome numbers and karyotypes from Italian Achillea species. Part II. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 5, 61–70.
7.
NemethE. (2005) Essential oil composition of species in the genus Achillea. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 17, 501–512; (b) Radulović N, Zlatković B, Palić R, Stojanović G, (2007) Chemotaxonomic significance of the Balkan Achillea volatiles, Natural Product Communications, 2, 453-474.
8.
HinouJ.B., HarvalaC.E., HinouE.B. (1989) Antimicrobial activity screening of 32 common constituents of essential oils. Pharmazie, 44, 302–303; (b) Angioni A, Barra A, Russo MT, Coroneo V, Dessí S, Cabras P. (2003) Chemical composition of the essential oils of Juniperus from ripe and unripe berries and leaves and their antimicrobial activity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 51, 3073-3078; (c) Filippi JJ, Lanfranchi DA, Prado S, Baldovini N, Meierhenrich UJ (2006) Composition, enantiomeric distribution, and antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Achillea ligustica All. from Corsica. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54, 6308-6313; (d) Pattnaik S, Subramanyam VR, Bapaji M, Kole CR. (1997) Antibacterial and antifungal activity of aromatic constituents of essential oils. Microbios, 89, (358), 39-46; (e) Hammerschmidt FJ, Clark AM, Soliman FM, el-Kashoury ES, Abd el-Kawy MM, el-Fishawy AM. (1993) Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Jasonia candicans and J. montana. Planta Medica, 59, 68-70; (f) Carson, CF, Riley TV. (1995) Antimicrobial activity of the major components of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia. Journal of Applied Bacteriology, 78, 264-269.
9.
TrendafilovaA., TodorovaM., VitkovaA. (2010) Essential oil composition of Achillea clusiana from Bulgaria. Natural Product Communications, 5, 129–132.
10.
AdamsR.P. (1995) Identification of essential oils components by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy.Allured Publishing Corporation, Carol Stream, IL.
11.
TkachevA.B. (2009) Investigation of volatile compounds in plants.RAS, Publ. Company, Ofset, Novosibirsk (in Russian).
12.
SpoonerF.D., SykesG. (1972) Laboratory assessment of antibacterial activity. In: Methods in Microbiology 7B Ed. NorrisJ.R., RibbonsD.W.Academic Press, London, p 216.
