Chemotype Variation and Antimicrobial Properties of Achillea millefolium L. subsp. millefolium var. millefolium

Achillea millefolium L. subsp. millefolium var. millefolium were collected from six different localities, growing in wild natural habitat in the Eastern Anatolian province of Bingol in Turkey. Essential oil of the samples was isolated by using an apparatus with Clevenger-type and was analyzed by GC-MS/FID spectroscopy. In total 56 components were identified from six samples collected from different localities and important qualitative and quantitative differences were observed. The most abundant components from all samples were found as α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, 1,8-cineol, endo-bornyl acetate and α-terpineol. The antimicrobial activities of six different samples essential oil components were tested against bacteria and yeast strains. According to the antimicrobial test results, the most susceptible microorganisms were identified as C. albicans, S. aureus and S. enterica against the essential oils derived from sample collected from Sancak and it suggested that this essential oil may be a valuable candidate for drug formulation.