Achillea spp.: A comprehensive review on its ethnobotany, phytochemistry, phytopharmacology and industrial applications

Abstract

The genus Achillea genus houses more than 100 species, a number of them are popularly used in traditional medicine for spasmodic gastrointestinal, gynecological and hepatobiliary disorders, hemorrhages, pneumonia, rheumatic pain, inflammation, wounds healing etc. Members of the genus contain a wide variety of volatile and non-volatile secondary metabolites, including terpenes, polyphenols, flavonoids and others. Multiple studies have assessed the biological effects and other aspects of Achillea spp. In a number of preclinical studies, Achillea plants and their essential oils have demonstrated promising antibacterial properties against a number of human and plant pathogens. Besides, the plants have displayed strong antioxidative and potent anti-proliferative and anticancer properties in various cellular and animal models. Achillea plants have widely been used as food preservative in food industry. Clinical studies have indicated its potential against multiple sclerosis (MS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, episiotomy wound, primary dysmenorrhea, oral mucositis etc. The present work focuses to provide a brief overview on folk knowledge, phytochemistry, biological activity and applications of Achillea plants. There is a close relationship between the traditional ethnobotanical usage and pharmacological and clinical data from different Achillea spp. The application of Achillea plants and their extracts seems to be a promising alternative for antimicrobial and antioxidant purposes in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Exploring phytochemical constituents ofAchillea arabicaKotschy. ethanolic flower extract by LC-MS/MS and its possible antioxidant and antidiabetic effects in diabetic rats

“…In studies on the A. arabica plant, it has been reported that the plant contains antioxidant compounds and major essential fatty acids such as p-cymene, piperitone, camphor and 1,8cineole (Mottaghi et al 2016;Kaffash et al 2020). Similarly, in different studies, it has been reported that Achillea species are quite rich in terms of phenolic and sesquiterpene lactone compounds (Salehi et al 2020) such as 𝛼-terpinene (41%), p-cymene (13%) (Dehghan and Elmi 2015), 1,8-cineole (9-37%), camphor (16-30%) (Morteza-Semnani et al 2005), piperitone (35%) and eucalyptol (13%) (Sökmen et al 2004).…”

“…Achillea genus, which belongs to the Asteraceae family, consists of more than 100 species, The Achillea species are used for treatment for many diseases such as gynecological and hepatobiliary disorders, rheumatic pain, spasmodic gastrointestinal, pneumonia, hemorrhages, in ammation and wound healing in folk medicine (Wichtl 2002;Burk et al 2010). Members of this genus contain volatile oil and other secondary metabolites, including terpenes (especially sesquiterpene lactones), avonoids, polyphenols and others (Salehi 2020).…”

Phytochemistry and Evidence-Based Traditional Uses of the Genus Achillea L.: An Update (2011–2021)

“…A landmark study by Si et al [11] was meticulously planned, including the structures and biological properties of known phytochemicals from Achillea spp., followed by the comprehensive summary of Saeidnia et al [14] and other numerous reviews on this topic [12,13]. Therefore, ten years after the last overviews by Si et al [11] and Saeidnia et al [14] (2006 and 2011, respectively), the present review aims to provide and summarize the existing knowledge on the genus Achillea, focusing on traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities.…”

“…Moreover, triterpenes, sterols, coumarins and phenolic acids were also reported [11]. Additionally, there are a lot of studies reporting the volatile constituents of the genus, which have been summarized in recent years [12,13]. Essential oils, isolated from Achillea spp., as secondary metabolites involve complex mixtures that also contribute significantly to the observed biological activities against a variety of ailments, and especially intestinal disorders and inflammatory diseases [12,13].…”

“…Therefore, ten years after the last overviews by Si et al [11] and Saeidnia et al [14] (2006 and 2011, respectively), the present review aims to provide and summarize the existing knowledge on the genus Achillea, focusing on traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities. In comparison with a similar study [12] in our review, we exhaustively summarized the non-volatile secondary metabolites of the last decade, identifying more than 141 chemical entities whose structures are depicted herein. Moreover, this overview gives an account of the ethnopharmacological relevance for the traditional uses of the genus supported by modern pharmacological research knowledge.…”