Chemical characterization of wild and commercial samples of Achillea millefolium L.

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times and emerge nowadays as an alternative for synthetic products, due to their richness in bioactive compounds.

Achillea millefolium L., commonly known as yarrow, belongs to the Asteraceae family being found in meadows, pathways, crop fields and homegardens. In the present work, commercial and wild samples of A. millefolium were characterized in terms of nutritional composition and free sugars, organic acids, fatty acids and tocopherols profile, determined by chromatographic techniques coupled to different detectors (HPLC-RI, HPLC-PDA, GC-FID and HPLC-fluorescence, respectively). Carbohydrates, followed by proteins, were the majority macronutrients found in both samples. The commercial sample showed a higher content of fat, proteins, ash, energy and total sugars. The wild sample revealed a higher content in carbohydrates, also showing the presence of raffinose, polyunsaturated fatty acids and organic acids. Regarding tocopherols, both samples showed a very similar profile, although the wild sample exhibited a higher content in total tocopherols. The results obtained highlight the fact that the plants used in traditional medicine may have applicability not only in homemade products but also in food and pharmaceutical industry, as a source of bioactive compounds.