Composition and the in vitro antimicrobial activities of the essential oils of Achillea wilhelmsii C. Koch. and Achillea lycaonica Boiss & Heldr.

Abstract

The genus Achillea (Asteraceae) is represented by 42 species (48 taxa) in Turkey and 22 of which are endemic to Turkey. Achillea wilhelmsii and Achillea lycaonica collected from different localities in Turkey, were subjected to hydrodistillation to yield essential oils which were subsequently analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The main constituents of the oils were identified and antimicrobial bioassays were applied. Camphor (39.62%) was the main component in the oil of Achillea wilhelmsii. The oil of Achillea lycaonica contained L-camphor (43.19%) as main constituent. All tested microorganisms were inhibited by the essential oils. On the other hand both essential oils showed strong antifungal activity against Alternaria brassicola than other tested microfungi.