In Vitro Antioxidant and Antifungal Properties of Achillea millefolium L.

Data regarding antioxidant and antifungal properties of yarrow extracts and essential oils can be found on several other studies; however, due to the fact that the composition of the natural products varies from one geographical area to another and with the extraction procedure, the present study contributes to a better characterisation of natural products obtained from A. millefolium L. The extract was obtained from shade dried plant in 1: 1 mixture water-ethanol, while the essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation. The products were characterized by modern analytical techniques and in terms of phytochemical assays. The antioxidant and antifungal effects of the products were explored. The analytical characterisation revealed the chemical composition (identifying 41 components in the extract and 82 components in the essential oil). The extract and the essential oil present a very good antioxidant effect (determined by two methods). The natural materials analysed revealed a very important in vitro antifungal activity on the studied fungal lines. The antioxidant and antifungal potential of the Achillea millefolium L. extract could find applications in the formulation of herbal products with improved action, both for human consumption and as tools to control mycotoxigenic fungi.