The taxonomic status of Centaurea section Acrocentron in Iran is briefly reviewed. A critical study of 251 herbarium specimens, and an additional 37 accessions collected specifically for this research, led to the discovery of a new variety, Centaurea irritans var. longispinosa Montazerolghaem, and the revival of another, C. persica var. subinermis, a taxon previously treated as a synonym for about 25 years. A key to all Iranian species of Centaurea section Acrocentron is provided.
The essential oil obtained from the flowering parts of Anthemis altissima L. var. altissima was analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. In this study, 34 compounds representing 98.76% of the essential oil were identified. The main components were α-terpineol (26.42%), β-pinene (9.23%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (6.30%), globulol (5.36%), n-tricosane (4.41%), terpinen-4-ol (4.08%) and 1,8 cineole (3.84%). Antibacterial activities of the essential oil and its two major components (α-terpineol and β-pinene) were determined using microdilution method against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacteria. The essential oil showed a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity (MICs ranged from 3.13 to 6.25 µL mL(-1)). It was found that α-terpineol with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the range 0.87-1.56 µL mL(-1) was a more potent antibacterial agent than β-pinene with MIC values of the range 1.56-6.25 µL mL(-1). All of them, the essential oil, β-pinene and α-terpineol, were more effective against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative ones.
The volatile constituents of the aerial parts of Lallemantia iberica growing wild in Iran have been examined by GC-FID and GC-MS. Altogether, 11 compounds were identified, constituting approximately 97.2% of the oil. The oil of L. iberica consisted mainly of germacrene-D (33.7%), delta-3-carene (19.0%), iso-caryophyllene (12.8%), sabinene (11.1%), alpha-terpinene acetate (6.5%) and limonene (4.4%).
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