Characterization of phenolic constituents and pharmacological activity of Achillea vermicularis

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare for the first time, the antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antiurease activities of 15 different extracts of Achillea vermicularis, which were obtained from three extraction methods using five different solvents. Phenolic contents in chloroform extract showed strong antiinflammatory and antioxidant activity and were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection and confirmed by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The active phenolic compounds in chloroform extracts were identified as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, dicaffeoylquinic acid, naringenin, quercetagetin 3,6-dimethyl ether, and 8-hydroxy-salvigenin. All these compounds except caffeic acid were detected for the first time in Achillea vermicularis. These results indicated that chloroform extract of the plant possessed a high potential to be used as a natural source in food and pharmaceutical industry.