Ac. Figueiredo et al., COMPOSITION OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL FROM CELL-SUSPENSION CULTURES OF ACHILLEA-MILLEFOLIUM SSP MILLEFOLIUM, Plant cell, tissue and organ culture, 40(2), 1995, pp. 113-118
The composition of the essential oil isolated from Achillea millefoliu
m L. ssp. millefolium cell suspension cultures was analysed by GC and
GC-MS. The yield of the oil obtained by hydrodistillation or a simulta
neous distillation - extraction of these cultures, harvested at days 8
-10 (end of exponential phase), was 0.001% (w/w). The analysis of the
volatiles showed the presence of thirteen components; monoterpenes amo
unted to 5%, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons attained 40%, while eugenol, d
emethoxyencecalin and two unidentified compounds amounted to 45% of th
e total oil. Several methods were tested in an attempt to increase the
essential oil production by the cultures: growth on solid medium, gro
wth in light, use of a different culture medium, elicitation with cell
ulase or yeast extract, and growth in a two-phase system. Of the diffe
rent methods tested, the growth in B5(+) medium with Miglyol 812 led t
o the highest essential oil yield (0.002%, w/w), and resulted in a mor
e diverse oil composition.