Essential oils from hairy root cultures and from plant roots of Achillea millefolium

The essential oils isolated from roots of two Achillea millefolium populati ons (BGL and CGA) and from two hairy root cultures (A4 and LBA) derived fro m one of these were analysed by GC and GC-mass spectrometry. The essential oils from the plant roots were obtained in a yield of 0.10% (BGL) and 0.05% (CGA) (v/w), whereas that of both hairy root cultures attained 0.05% (v/w) . Compared on a dry weight basis, the yield from the hairy root cultures wa s similar to or higher than that from the plant roots. The oxygen-containin g sesquiterpene fraction of the root oils from both plant populations was t he most characteristic one, epi-cubenol being the main component of these o ils (18% for BGL and 26% for CGA). Oxygen-containing monoterpenes constitut ed the most important fraction of the essential oils from both hairy root c ultures, neryl isovalerate being the main component (27% and 43% for A4 and LBA, respectively). No major differences were detected in the root essential oil profiles of th e two A. millefolium plant populations, but qualitative and quantitative di fferences were found between the essential oils from the plant roots and th ose from the hairy roots, and also between the oils from the two hairy root cultures. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.