Flavonoids, are a large class of polyphenols, with more than 4000 combinations. They have a antioxidant role in plant photosynthesis and in human body have such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and profection of the heart. Quercetin is in flavonol group, is used to fight with viruses and cancer cells. In this study, extraction and measurement of quercetin were carried out in A. millefolium L., A. biebersteinii Afan. and A. Tenuifolia Lam. species. Samples were collected in early June 2010 from experiment farms, in Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran. Various extraction methods were tested using different organs (flowers, leaves and stems) performed. The extraction from stem is reported for the first time. In the first extraction was performed soxhlet apparatus using with chloroform solvent for 72 hours. In the second method the previous sample with chloroform solvent extraction had been performed after separating the solvent, adding methanol extraction surgery was performed again. The third method, depending on the amount of plant matter with solvents methanol and acetic acid (ratio 9:1) by small electric mill and was filtered, in the end a new method with solvents, methanol and acetic acid (ratio 9:1) by electric mill crushed and then soaked for a week and was filtered. Then all samples were concentrated into 30 ml. Totally 36 samples were obtained by the amount quercetin contents in 36 obtained samples were measured combined with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The highest amount of quercetin (2164 ppm) obtained in flower of A. millefolium. In second method with methanol by soxhlet apparatus were 2064 ppm in leaves, and was 2034 ppm in stem, in fourth method Macerated with methanol related to first method in A. millefolium was lowest 127 ppm amount, in stem of A. biebersteinii was 110 ppm and 23 ppm was btained from A. tenuifolia stem.

Achillea tenuifolia Lam. (Asteraceae) afforded a methanolic extract from which after fractionation in solvents with different polarities, two known flavones 3’, 5- dihydroxy- 4’, 6, 7- trimethoxy flavone (eupatorine, compound 3), 5- hydroxy- 3’, 4’, 6, 7- tetramethoxyflavone (compound 4), besides stearic acid (compound 1), lupeol (compound 2), daucosterol (b- sitosterol 3-O- b- D- glucopyranoside, compound 5), 2, 4- dihydroxy methyl benzoate (compound 6) were isolated for the first time. The structure of isolated compounds was elucidated by means of different spectroscopic methods such as UV, IR, Mass and 1H- NMR (1D and 2D) and 13C-NMR. For further confirming the structures of isolated compounds, comparison of the spectral data of them with those reported in the litratures have been done.

The anther, pollen and ovule development in Achillea tenuifolia were studied with a bright field microscopy. Results showed that the anther is of tetrasporangiate type and the anther wall is composed by four layers: an epidermis, an endothecium, one middle layer and a tapetum layer. Tapetum is of secretory type and its cells showed polyploidy. Pollen tetrads were tetrahedral, microspores were very irregular and contained large amounts of starch at the time of dispersion. Pollen grains were generally tricolporate, and in some cases were tetracolporate or even pentacolporate with spines on surface. The size of the pollen grains varied and ranging from 18-42.5 μm at the polar axis and from 16.5-35.5 μm at the equatorial axis. Ovule is anatropous, unitegmic and tenuiucellate. The archesporium may consist of one or more archeosporial cells, but only one of them undergoes meiosis, forming a linear or T-shaped tetrad. A 7-celled embryo sac is formed corresponding to the Polygonum type. Embryo sac is very tiny at the beginning of its development, its size was increased considerably at late growth stages. The relationship between Asteraceae, Calyceraceae and Goodeniaceae are discussed but based on embryological evidence, Goodeniaceae appear to be the putative sister group of Asteraceae. To understand more exact relationships within the order Asterales, embryological studies are recommended.

Achillea tenuifolia Lam. (Asteraceae) afforded a dichloromethane fraction from which three known compounds b-sitosterol (compound1), 5-hydroxy, 4’, 6, 7-trimethoxy flavone (salvigenin compound 2), and methyl-gallate (compound 3) were isolated for the first time. The structure of isolated compounds was elucidated by different spectroscopic methods. Applying the molar-ratio method, the complexation of salvigenin with Fe (III), Cu (II) and Zn (II), the most abundant type of metal ions in the body, were then evaluated. It was determined that stoichiometric ratio of salvigenin with these cations were as Fe (Salvigenin)2 (H2O)2 and Cu (Salvigenin)2 (H2O)2 in methanolic solution without pH control, while zinc ions didn’t form significant complexes. The results were confirmed more, by computational molecular modeling of the structure of proposed ligand-complexes by semi-imperical PM3 calculations, which determined negative heat of formation for the complexes Fe (III) and Cu (II) ions as -689.7 and -573.5, respectively and proposed chelating affinity of salvigenin in the following order: Fe (III)>Cu (II)>>Zn (II).

Achillea (Asteraceae) comprises 115 species, which are mainly distributed in Europe, Asia, and North Africa and as an introduced plant in the New World. The genus Achillea, generally called Bumadaran in Persian, is well known for medicinal properties such as anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects. Achillea has long been used in traditional medicine for treatment of neuralgia and rheumatic pain. Achillea talagonica and Achillea tenuifolia are two of nineteen herbaceous species growing in north of Iran. In previous studies, A. talagonica showed the strongest in vivo immunosuppressive activity and A. tenuifolia had an antimicrobial effect. In this study, we examined the cytotoxic activity of the ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous methanol extracts of these two species by Brine Shrimp Cytotoxicity Assay, which is a well-known screening method for finding the active natural products using Artemia Salina eggs. The results show that all extracts from both plants have a good cytotoxic effect against the larve of A. salina. The minimum lethal concentration of aqueous methanolic extract of A. tenuifolia is 250 µg/ml. The effective concentration of the methanolic extract of A. talagonica is more than 100 µg/ml. Thus, Ethyl acetate extract of A. tenuifolia is more effective than A. talagonica. Finally, Achillea talagonica and A. tenuifolia are two effective plants on the larve of A. salina. Different polarity extracts of both species showed cytotoxic activity.