Isolation of bioactive components of Centaurium erythraea plant

Gorka kičica (Centaurium erythraea) je biljka svijetlih šumskih livada, suhih travnjaka i pašnjaka Europe, sjeverne Afrike i zapadne Azije. Poznata je u narodnoj medicini u liječenju bolesti probavnoga sustava. U radu je metodom po Clevenger-u izolirano eterično ulje iz osušene biljke gorke kičice (0,02%). Sastav eteričnog ulja odreĎen je GC-MS analizom pri čemu su pronaĎeni brojni spojevi (uglavnom mono- i seskviterpeni). Najveći udio u eteričnom ulju ima heksadekanska kiselina, 20%. Osim destilacije s vodenom parom kojom se izoliraju hlapive komponente iz biljke, provedena je i ekstrakcija po Soxhlet-u. U svrhu izolacije bioaktivnih tvari različite polarnosti za ekstrakciju su korištena sljedeća otapala: metanol, heksan, te smjesa otapala heksan:diklormetan:metanol (1 : 1 : 1). Ranija istraživanja nekih autora pokazala su antibakterijsko djelovanje pojedinih komponenata iz gorke kičice. Iz tog je razloga odreĎivana antibakterijska aktivnost dobivenih ekstrakata i eteričnog ulja. OdreĎivanjem antibakterijske aktivnosti ekstrakta i eteričnog ulja na bakterije Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterititis, Staphylococcus aureus i Bacillus cereus utvrĎen je odreĎeni stupanj antibakterijske aktivnosti. Na bakterije Pseudomonas fluorescens i Lysteria monocytogenes ekstrakti biljke nemaju antibakterijskodjelovanje.Centaurium erythraea is a widespread plant of Europe and parts of western Asia and northern Africa. It has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of digestive, stomachic, tonic, depurative, sedative and antipyretic purposes. C. erythraea was subjected to hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus and yielded 0,02% of highly fragrant essential oil. The composition of oil was investigated by GC/MS analysis. Many compounds, mostly mono and sesquiterpenes were found. Hexadecanoic acid was found to be the most abundant compound in oil, 20%. Besides the hydrodistillation where volatile constituents were isolated from plant, an extraction by Soxhlet was also used for isolation bioactive compounds which differ in polarity. Methanol, hexane and the mixture of solvents hexane : dichloromethane : methanol (1 : 1 : 1) were used for extraction. The previous research proved antibacterial activity of several constituents from this plant. Furthermore, it was an argument for specifying antibacterial activity of extract and esential oil. Certain degree of antibacterial activity to bacteria: Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. On the other hand, antibacterial activity of essential oil and extracts to bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens i Listeria monocytogenes was not present