Genetic insights into the mineral profiling of twenty-five accessions across three Achillea species

Achillea L., a medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, has a global distribution and has been employed for its therapeutic properties since ancient times. Different species within the Achillea genus are frequently employed to tackle various health concerns. While there has been considerable research conducted on the bioactive compounds found in these plants and their corresponding biological activities, there remains a notable gap in our understanding of their mineral composition. Therefore, the present study aimed to systematically evaluate the mineral profile within and across three Achillea species, namely A. vermicularis, A. wilhelmsii, and A. tenuifolia. The study focused on the analysis of eight minerals, namely Fe, Cd, K, Ca, Pb, Mg, Cu, and P, over a span of two crop years.

Based on the results, the mineral composition varied significantly among the species and accessions. In the study, the K (3.9-4.48%) content in all three examined species was found to be abundant. Comparatively, the Fe content in the A. wilhelmsii (952 mg/kg) and A. vermicularis (1047 mg/kg) species was more than double that of the A. tenuifolia (390 mg/kg) species. The Cu content, on the other hand, demonstrated similar levels across all three species. The highest concentrations of Mg (0.59%), Ca (1.79%), and P (0.62%) were observed in A. wilhelmsii, A. tenuifolia, and A. vermicularis species, respectively. Notably, A. tenuifolia species exhibited the lowest level of Pb, while the A. vermicularis species had the lowest level of Cd. In the studied plants, the minerals were found to have the following concentration order: K > Ca > P > Mg > Fe > Cu > Pb > Cd. The cluster analysis categorized the 25 accessions into three distinct groups, revealing no similarity among accessions within each species. The PCA plot, utilizing the first two PC, validated approximately 46% of the total variance. This confirmation solidified the outcomes derived from the cluster analysis.

In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the mineral composition of Achillea species, highlighting the variability among species and accessions. The findings contribute to our understanding of the nutritional and therapeutic potential of these plants and can guide future research on their cultivation and utilization in various applications.