Comparative Assessment of the Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activity of Extracts of Flowering Plants of Centaurea cyanus L., Centaurea jacea L. and Centaurea scabiosa L.

Comparative Assessment of the Phytochemical Composition and
Biological Activity of Extracts of Flowering Plants of
Centaurea cyanus L., Centaurea jacea L. and Centaurea scabiosa L.
Natalia Sharonova 1,* , Evgeny Nikitin 1 , Dmitriy Terenzhev 1, Anna Lyubina 1, Syumbelya Amerhanova 1 ,
Kseniya Bushmeleva 1 , Adelya Rakhmaeva 1, Igor Fitsev 2 and Kirill Sinyashin 1


Citation: Sharonova, N.; Nikitin, E.;
Terenzhev, D.; Lyubina, A.;
Amerhanova, S.; Bushmeleva, K.;
Rakhmaeva, A.; Fitsev, I.; Sinyashin,
K. Comparative Assessment of the
Phytochemical Composition and
Biological Activity of Extracts of
Flowering Plants of Centaurea cyanus
L., Centaurea jacea L. and Centaurea
scabiosa L.. Plants 2021, 10, 1279.
https://doi.org/10.3390/
plants10071279
Received: 9 May 2021
Accepted: 16 June 2021
Published: 23 June 2021
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1 Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science Federal Research Center «Kazan Scientific Center of Russian
Academy of Sciences», ul. Lobachevskogo, 2/31, 420111 Kazan, Russia; berkutru@mail.ru (E.N.);
dmitriy.terenzhev@mail.ru (D.T.); aplyubina@gmail.com (A.L.); syumbelya07@mail.ru (S.A.);
ks.bushmelewa09@ya.ru (K.B.); ermakowa.adelya@yandex.ru (A.R.); sinkirol@mail.ru (K.S.)
2 Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution «Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation, and Biological
Safety», Nauchny Gorodok-2, 420075 Kazan, Russia; fitzev@mail.ru
* Correspondence: lapanovich@mail.ru
Abstract: The data on the phytochemical composition and biological activity for flowering plant
extracts of the genus Centaurea (Knapweed)—cornflower (Centaurea cyanus L.), brown knapweed
(Centaurea jacea L.), and greater knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa L.), which are typical representatives of
the flora in the middle belt of the Russian Federation, were obtained. For the first time, biologically active
substances such as pyranone, coumaran (2,3-dihydrobenzofuran), and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural
were identified in ethanol and methanol extracts of Centaurea scabiosa L. by gas chromatography–
mass spectrometry. Catechol and -amyrin were the major components of the ethanol extract from
Centaurea cyanus L., and flavone was the major component of Centaurea jacea L. flower extract. The
greatest antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens was detected in Centaurea scabiosa L. when
extracting freshly harvested flower biomass with methyl tert-butyl ether at room temperature: the
minimum inhibitory concentrations were 60–120 g/mL, the minimum fungicidal concentration
was 120 g/mL, and the minimum bactericidal concentration was 250 g/mL. The low antioxidant
activity of the studied plant extracts was established using the maximum values of Centaurea jacea L.
Ethanol extract of Centaurea cyanus L. flowers had low antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The
extracts showed no phytotoxicity to garden cress germination but inhibited the growth of juvenile
plants, especially roots. The greatest phytotoxic effect was revealed with methyl tert-butyl ether,
where the depression of growth indicators was 35% or more.
Keywords: Centaurea cyanus L.; Centaurea jacea L.; Centaurea scabiosa L.; extract; flowers; phytochemical
composition; antimicrobial activity; phytopathogenic microorganisms; antioxidant activity; phytotoxicity