Volatile Organic Compounds from Centaurium erythraea Rafn (Croatia) and the Antimicrobial Potential of Its Essential Oil

Igor Jerković,Hrvoje Pavlović,Zvonimir Marijanović,Dajana Gašo-Sokač,Mirko Gugić,Spomenka Kovač,Ivana Petrović

doi:10.3390/molecules17022058

Igor Jerković, Hrvoje Pavlović + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules17022058

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Abstract

GC and MS were used for the analysis of Croatian Centaurium erythraea Rafn essential oil (obtained by hydrodistillation) and headspace (applying headspace solid-phase microextraction). The headspace contained numerous monoterpene hydrocarbons (the major ones were terpinene-4-ol, methone, p-cymene, γ-terpinene and limonene). Oxygenated monoterpenes were present in the headspace and oil, while 1,8-cineole, bornyl acetate and verbenone were present only in the headspace. High headspace percentages of toluene and naphthalene were found, followed by hemimellitene. Lot of similarities were observed with Serbian C.erythraea oil [neophytadiene (1.4%), thymol (2.6%), carvacrol (6.1%) and hexadecanoic acid (5.7%)], but different features were also noted such as the presence of menthol, menthone and phytone. The oil fractionation enabled identification of other minor compounds not found in total oil such as norisoprenoides, alk-1-enes or chromolaenin. The essential oil showed antimicrobial potential on Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. On the other hand, no antibacterial activity of the oil was observed on Pseudomonas fluorescens and Lysteria monocytogenes.

Highlights

IntroductionCentaurium erythraea Rafn (Gentianaceae) is traditional medicinal plant in Croatia
Small centaury, Centaurium erythraea Rafn (Gentianaceae) is traditional medicinal plant in Croatia
Oxygenated monoterpenes were generally present in the headspace and essential oil and the major ones in the headspace were terpinene-4-ol (10.3%; 6.9%), menthone (6.1%; 4.3%), linalool (2.8%; 0.9%), β-thujone (2.8%; 1.2%), camphor (5.1%; 2.0%), isomenthone (0.9%; 1.6%), menthol (2.9%; 6.7%) and menthyl acetate (1.6%; 0.9%)

Summary

Introduction

Centaurium erythraea Rafn (Gentianaceae) is traditional medicinal plant in Croatia. The use of C. erythraea in traditional medicine has been described in the pharmacopoeia of different countries. Previous phytochemical studies [2,3,4,5] on C. erythraea revealed the presence of a variety of plant secondary metabolites, including centauroside, centapiricin, flavonoids, gentiopicrin, gentiopicroside, isocumarin, phenolic acids and their derivatives, swertiamarin, terpenoids and xanthones. Many of these compounds are known to exhibit important biological (antimicrobial, antimutagenic and antioxidative) activities.

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