Composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from Centaurea sessilis and Centaurea armena

The essential oils of air-dried Centaurea sessilis and Centaurea armena were analyzed by GC-MS. Sixty-one and thirty-four components were identified in the essential oils and the main components of these taxa were found to be β-eudesmol in the ratios of 11.08% and 11.18% from C. sessilis and C. armena, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the isolated essential oil of the plants was also investigated. They showed moderate antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, but no antifungal activity was observed against two yeastlike fungi.