Sesquiterpene lactones were isolated from 18 species or subspecies of the genus <em>Centaurea L.</em>: salonitenolide (I) was found in <em>C. crithmifolia Vis., C. friderici Vis., C, paniculata L., C. calcitrapa L., C. pontica </em>Prodan et E. L' Nyarady, <em>C. eriophora L., C. alba L. subsp. deusta</em> (Ten.) Nyman, <em>C. alba L.</em> subsp. <em>caliacrae</em> (Prodan) Dostal and <em>C. weldeniana</em> Reichenb.; cnicin (II) was found in: <em>C. vallesiaca (DC)</em>. Jordan, <em>C. calcitrapa L., C. aspera L.</em> subsp. <em>aspera, C. sphaerocephala L.</em> subsp. <em>lusitanica</em> (Boiss. et Reuter) Nyman, <em>C. sulphurea</em> Willd., <em>C. eriophora L.</em> and <em>C. rocheliana</em> (Heuffel) Dostal; cynaropicrin (III) was detected in <em>C. debeauxii</em> Gren. et Gordon subsp. <em>thuillieri</em> Dostal; acroptillin (V), repin (VI) and janerin (VII) in <em>C. bella</em> Trautv. Other unidentified sesquiterpene lactones were also found to be present in the examined plants.
A method for the quantitative determination of sesquiterpenes in plant material by means of infrared spectroscopy is described. It was applied to seven species of the family Compositae and gave accurate results.
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