Yarrow oil and its chemical composition

                                                                                         

Yarrow oil and its chemical composition

By Prashantkumar Kudli Shrinivas

Yarrow oil is extracted from Achillea millefolium of the Compositea family and is also known as milfoil, nosebleed, common yarrow and thousand leaf.

Yarrow is native to Europe and Asia and naturalized in North America.

Yarrow oil has a sweet, spicy smell and the oil has a watery viscosity.

It is a perennial herb that grows up to 1 meter high and has fern like feathery leaves and bears numerous pink, white, dense flower heads.

Yarrow grows in the temperate zone, and the plant grows wild along roadways and in fields and pastures. Yarrow is often considered as a weed and grows on many soil types if there is adequate drainage. Tops of the plant are collected when the plant is in flower, from early to late summer.

It is also known as milfoil, referring to its feathery appearance and was used as a charm in Scotland and was credited with having powers to ward off evil.
It has a reputation of having an all healing action and has been used for a variety of ailments throughout the ages and is even added to some Swedish beers.

Yarrow oil is extracted from the dried herb by steam distillation.

Leaves and flowers have a bitter, astringent taste when used in culinary applications. Yarrow has been used in the manufacture of beer and can be found as an ingredient in herbal teas . Yarrow oil has been traditionally used in hair shampoos.

The therapeutic properties of yarrow oil are anti inflammatory, anti rheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, expectorant, haemostatic, stomachic and tonic.

Yarrow oil can improve circulatory disorders such as varicose veins and hemorrhoids. It helps with irregular menstruation, menopausal problems, cystitis and infection.

Yarrow oil can help with digestive problems such as flatulence, colic, cramp, indigestion and constipation. In the nervous system, it can be used to counter stress related problems, hypertension and insomnia.

The skin can also benefit from yarrow oil as it helps to heal inflamed wounds, rashes, cuts, eczema, scars, and burns and can promote hair growth.

Yarrow oil blends particularly well with angelica, cedarwood, oak moss and verbena.

Yarrow is generally recognized as safe in beverages only if the oil is Thujone free.

It is used upto 3 % in the fragrance concentrate.

The chemical composition [ in %] of the oil is as follows;

Ascaridole- 45-50

Borneol- 2-4

Camphor- 8-10

Cineole- 8-12

Cymene- 7-9

4-Terpineol- 1-2

Terpinene - 7-9

Thujone – 2-3

Thugyl isobutyrate- 1-2

Isoborneol- 2-3

The minor components of the oil are Artemisia triene, Bisabolol, Cadinol, Camphene, Caryophyllene, Caryophyllene oxide, Geranial, Jasmone, Lavandulol, Limonene, Linalool, Verbenone, Thymol, Sabinene, Artemisyl alcohol, etc.

About the author:
Prashantkumar Kudli Shrinivas has a vast industrial experience of Aroma chemicals,Essential oils,Perfumery and Flavour formulations.

E-mail: prashantkudli@yahoo.co.in


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