Phytochemical Properties and Biological Activities of Achillea Species
Summary
Species of the genus Achillea, commonly known as yarrow, are rich in diverse secondary metabolites including sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids, phenolic acids and essential oils. These phytochemicals underlie a broad range of biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects. Sesquiterpene lactones such as guaianolides and eudesmanolides confer anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, while flavonoids like apigenin and luteolin contribute potent free-radical scavenging activity. Essential oils, characterised by oxygenated monoterpenes (for example 1,8-cineole and camphor), exhibit antimicrobial and wound-healing effects. Traditional uses of Achillea species include treatment of digestive disorders, fever, skin wounds and respiratory ailments. Modern investigations have confirmed efficacy in inhibiting proinflammatory mediators, modulating lipid metabolism in cancer cells, and preventing microbial adhesion and biofilm formation. Ongoing research seeks to optimise extraction methods, identify novel bioactive compounds and explore applications in nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and cosmeceuticals.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Phytochemical Properties and Biological Activities of Achillea Species publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in phytochemical properties and biological activities of achillea species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sesquiterpene lactones: A class of 15-carbon terpenoids characterised by a lactone ring, known for anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities.
Flavonoids: Polyphenolic compounds with a C6–C3–C6 skeleton that act as antioxidants and modulate enzyme activity.
DPPH assay: A spectrophotometric method using the stable radical DPPH to assess free-radical scavenging capacity of extracts.
IC50: The concentration of a substance that inhibits a biological process or cell proliferation by 50%, indicating potency.
Supercritical antisolvent precipitation (SAS): A technique that uses supercritical CO₂ to fractionate and precipitate bioactive compounds from plant extracts.
References
- Investigation of Anti‐Inflammatory Properties, Phytochemical Constituents, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Potentials of the Whole Plant Ethanolic Extract of Achillea santolinoides subsp. wilhelmsii (K. Koch) Greuter of Balochistan. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity (2023).
- Isolation of Secondary Metabolites from Achillea grandifolia Friv. (Asteraceae) and Main Compounds’ Effects on a Glioblastoma Cellular Model. Pharmaceutics (2023).
- Novel bioactive extract from yarrow obtained by the supercritical antisolvent-assisted technique inhibits lipid metabolism in colorectal cancer. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (2024).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.