title: Presence of phthalate derivatives in the essential oils of a medicinal plant Achillea tenuifolia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phthalate, esters of phthalic acid, are mainly applied as plasticizers and cause several human health and environment hazards. The essential oils of Achillea species have attracted a great concern, since several biological activities have been reported from varieties of these medicinal species. On the other side, due to the problems regarding the waste disposal in developing countries, phthalate derivatives can easily release from waste disposal to the water and soil resulting in probable absorption and accumulation by medicinal and dietary plants. As a matter of fact, although the toxicity of phthalate derivatives in human is well-known, food crops and medicinal plants have been exposing to phthalates that can be detected in their extracts and essential oils. Achillea tenuifolia (Compositea) is one of these herbaceous plants with traditional applications which widely growing in Iran.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plant root was subjected to hydro-distillation for 4 h using Clevenger type apparatus to obtain its essential oil before and after acid treatment. Both of the hydro-distilled essential oils were analysed by GC-MS method resulted in recognition of their constituent. Phthalate contamination as (1, 2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis (2-methylpropyl) ester (5.4%) and phthalic acid (4.5%), were identified in the first and second extracted oils, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a warning, due to the potential role of phthalates to cause reproductive toxicity, disturb of endocrine system and causing cancers, medicinal plants have to be considered through quality control for detection of these compounds.
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6451, Tehran, Iran. manayi@sina.tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manayi
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6451, Tehran, Iran. m-mahmoodabadi@farabi.tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mahdieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurepaz-Mahmoodabadi
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6451, Tehran, Iran. goharii_a@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Ahmad R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gohari
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plants (IMP), Iranian Academic Centre for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Karaj, Iran. ajanisef@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Yousef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ajani
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6451, Tehran, Iran. saeidnia_s@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Soodabeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saeidnia
mesh_terms: D031162:Achillea; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D010938:Plant Oils