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Essential Oil Composition of Centaurea atropurpurea and Centaurea orientalis Inflorescences from the Central Balkans – Ecological Significance and Taxonomic Implications
Author(s) -
Novaković Jelica,
Rajčević Nemanja,
Milanovici Sretco,
Marin Petar D.,
Janaćković Pedja
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemistry and biodiversity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1612-1880
pISSN - 1612-1872
DOI - 10.1002/cbdv.201600029
Subject(s) - centaurea , sesquiterpene , asteraceae , composition (language) , germacrene d , botany , germacrene , essential oil , chemistry , inflorescence , biology , linguistics , philosophy
The essential oil composition of Centaurea atropurpurea and Centaurea orientalis flowering heads (capitula) from Central Balkans have been determined by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses. In total, 121 compounds were identified, representing on average 97.7% of the oil composition. In all samples, sesquiterpenes were most abundant group, representing 53.9 – 74.0% of the total oil. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons dominated in all studied populations of C. orientalis and C. atropurpurea , except C. atropurpurea f. flava in which essential oil was characterized with high level of oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The dominant components differed between species, and also between typical C. atropurpurea and C. atropurpurea f. flava . The most abundant compounds of essential oil of C. orientalis were germacrene D and α ‐cadinol. In C. atropuruprea , germacrene D and β‐ caryophyllene were the most abundant, while caryophyllene oxide and β‐ caryophyllene were dominant in C. atropurpurea f. flava oil. Taxonomical and ecological implications are further discussed.