Essential Oil Composition of Centaurea atropurpurea and Centaurea orientalis Inflorescences from the Central Balkans – Ecological Significance and Taxonomic Implications |
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| Authors: | Jelica Novakovi? Nemanja Raj?evi? Sretco Milanovici Petar D Marin Pedja Jana?kovi? |
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| Affiliation: | 1. +381 64 28 11 045+381 11 33 42 114;2. Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden ‘Jevremovac’, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Biology, Belgrade, Serbia;3. Science Department, Banat Museum Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania |
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| Abstract: | 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. |
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| Keywords: | Centaurea Inflorescence essential oil Ecology Chemotaxonomy Multivariate analysis |
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