Variations in the headspace volatile profiles of three different Achillea coarctata Poir. (Asteraceae) populations

Abstract

This study presents a detailed compositional analysis of six Achillea coarctata Poir. samples obtained by static headspace method and interrelationships based on the volatiles profiles from different plant parts, three different populations and geological substrates, using multivariate statistical analysis. The most dominant components were mutual for aerial vegetative plant parts and inflorescences collected at the same locality. Main compounds differed in percentages for two localities (values in parenthesis refer to aerial plant parts and inflorescences, respectively): 1) 1,8-cineole (40.7%; 39.9%), β-pinene (29.6%; 36.4%) and α-pinene (7.2%; 3.3%); 2) 1,8-cineole (51.8%; 53.3%), β-pinene (18.0%; 28.2%) and α-pinene (5.6%; 4.5%). the most abundant constituents identified in third locality were 1,8-cineole (37.2%; 35.6%), β-pinene (18.6%; 11.7%) and ocymene (11.6%; 11,7%). Samples collected on different geological substrates are qualitative and quantitative various according to agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis and can be grouped in two clades and two subclades.

Keywords

• Achillea coarctata Poir.
• headspace
• volatile profiles
• statistical analysis