Available online at http://journalofagroalimentary.ro                ________________________________________________ Corresponding author: email: dan_hadaruga@yahoo.com Obtaining and characterization of   L. extracts Corina Iuliana Costescu 1 , Bogdan Petru Rădoi 1 , Nicoleta Gabriela Hădărugă 1 , Alexandra Teodora Gruia 2 , Adrian Rivi- 1 , Dorel Pârvu 1 , Ioan David 1 , Daniel Ioan Hădărugă 3* 1 Department of Food Science, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania”Timi(oara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 – Timi(oara, Romania 2 Regional Centre for Immunology and Transplant, County Clinical Emergency Hospital Timi(oara, Iosif Bulbuca Blvd. 10, 300736Timi(oara, Romania 3 Department of Applied Chemistry, Organic and Natural Compounds Engineering, Polytechnic University of Timi(oara, Carol Telbisz 6, 300001Timi(oara, Romania Received: 09 May 2014; Accepted: 11 June 2014 .____________________________________________________________________________________  The paper presents the obtaining and characterization of some yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) extracts, from various parts of plant. The yarrow essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation method and, in order to characterize them, they were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC$MS). Essential oil extraction yields were in the range of 0.5$1.2%, the main compounds being cyclic monoterpenes (such as α$ and β$pinene, β$phellandrene) and sesquiterpenes (caryophyllene, β$cubebene, and camazulene), as well as some related epoxides (eucalyptol, bisabolol$oxides). The highest concentration in yarrow flower extract was found for β$pinene and camazulene (17% and 13%, respectively), while for leaf extract the main compound was α$bisabolol. Camazulene was in very high concentration in yarrow root and steam extracts (34% and 46%, respectively). : yarrow, Achillea millefolium L., essential oils, gas chromatography$mass spectrometry, β$ phellandrene, β$pinene, camazulene, α$bisabolol ______________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) is an ancient medicinal herbaceous plant belonging to the Compositae family and it is used by many people in the form of teas, having stomachic and anti$ diarrheic properties [1$3]. It can be also used externally in the treatment of wounds. It is a perennial plant and its leaves are bipennated and arranged spirally on the stems. White flowers are arranged in a calatidiu type inflorescence [3]. Aerial parts of the plant, harvested at flowering and then dried, contain 0.10$0.40% volatile oil, and the inflorescence contains up to 0.50% [3$7]. From some areas of Romania were collected inflorescence samples which, dried in natural conditions, in air, had a 0.80% content of volatile oil, rich in camazulene. Current production output is 0.20% volatile oil, obtained from properly dried raw material. In the leaves of six species of yarrow: A. millefolium, A. filipendulina, A. tenuifolia, A. santolina, A. biebersteinii and A. eriophora were identified more than ninety compounds [4$10]. Achillea millefolium L. essential oil principally contains mono$ and sesquiterpenoids. The most