Phytochemical and Cytogenetic Characterization ofCentaurea solstitialisL. (Asteraceae) from Croatia

Abstract

The cytogenetic characterization of Centaurea solstitialis L. (Asteraceae) showed a chromosome number of 2n = 16. Karyotype is composed by four pairs of metacentric, two pairs of submetacentric and two pairs of subtelocentric chromosomes. Physical mapping of two rDNA probes revealed two loci of 35S and one locus of 5S rRNA genes. Chromomycin fluorochrome banding revealed that all rDNA loci were GC rich. The genome size (2C-value) of 1.95 pg classes this species in the group of very small genomes. Chemical composition of C. solstitialis volatile oil (VO) from Croatia, studied with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed dominant components as it follows: hexadecanoic acid, α-linolenic acid, germacrene D and heptacosane. Antioxidant capacity, measured by ferric reducing power assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl methods, as well as inhibition of acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase of VO was lower comparing to a standard solutions. Volatile oil tested with disc diffusion method showed good inhibitory potential against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and all tested fungi: Candida albicans, Penicillium funiculosum and Aspergillus fumigatus. The microdilution method showed best activity against Chronobacter sakazakii and A. fumigatus.

Centaurea rupestris L.: Cytogenetics, Essential Oil Chemistry and Biological Activity

“…[22] In this study the EO with higher amount of germacrene D had slightly better antimicrobial activity on some pathogens. The germacrene D and its antimicrobial potential will be subject of our further studies.…”

“…[22] The microdilution assays for testing bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi were carried out by the guidelines of the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute, with the exception that broth dilution antifungal susceptibility testing was conducted in Sabouraud dextrose broth (SDB, Biolife, Italy). [33][34][35] …”

“…[14] Good antimicrobial activity was previously found in some Centaurea species EO. [10,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Due to a need for an authentic plant material, evaluated both with a botanist expertise and molecular methods, the genome size and chromosome number were assessed. In botanical authentication of plant material, together with morphological traits, a genome size, the amount of DNA in the un-replicated haploid nucleus of an organism, are important biological traits used for plant characterization.…”

Phytochemical Composition and Antioxidant Activities of the Essential Oil and Extracts of Satureja subspicata Vis. Growing in Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…The GC/MS and GC‐FID analysis of the essential oil was performed according to a previously described method . The analysis was performed using a Varian 3900 gas chromatograph (Lake Forest, USA) equipped with a flame ionization detector and mass detector ( model 2100T ) and a non‐polar capillary column VF‐5MS (30 m × 0.25 mm i.d.…”

Variations in the Bioactive Compounds Composition and Biological Activities of Loofah (Luffa cylindrica) Fruits in Relation to Maturation Stages

“…Plant‐derived antioxidants such as phenolic compounds present a potentially safe and cheap solution to protect the human body and reduce the risk of illnesses and could present an alternative for synthetic antioxidants recently reported to be harmful to human health . The main natural antioxidants are phenolic compounds, these secondary metabolites have been widely studied especially for their antimicrobial, antiproliferative, cytoprotective, and surely antioxidant activities . ][ In addition to phenolics, carotenoids and fatty acids have important biological activities as well and can be used for therapeutical applications .…”