PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Hojas o planta entera tierna.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Tónico, colagogo, digestiva, carminativa, béquicas.

POSOLOGÍA= Posology: Se la ingiere en forma de té. La infusión se prepara con 30 gramos de Centaurea por litro de agua (se usan las hojas o la planta entera si es tierna).

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: Free radical scavenging activity of the methanolic extract of the roots of Centaurea centaurium L. (Asteraceae) and its phenolic, non-polar and water fractions was measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay.  The phenolic fraction showed high radical-scavenging activity with DPPH (IC(50) of 57 microg mL(-1)) and potent antioxidant properties both on lipid peroxidation and beta-carotene bleaching (IC(50) of 195 and 5 microg mL(-1), respectively).  The n-hexane fraction of the extract showed the highest inhibitory activity against alpha-amylase with an IC(50) of 158 microg mL(-1).  In this fraction, the most abundant constituents were the fatty acids: 11,14-eicosadienoic acid methyl ester, 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester and 9-octadecenoic acid.  Various terpenes, e.g. cypirene, alpha-zingiberene, beta-farnesene, beta-santalene, beta-bisabolene, beta-himachalene and azulene were also present.  The LC(50) against the brine shrimp nauplii for the methanolic extract was found to be 44.05 microg mL(-1), whilst LC(50) values for the polyphenolic, lipophilic and water fractions were found to be 157.44, 25.98 and 152.81 microg mL(-1), respectively.

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: Argentina.

1) CONSELL, Danilo M. Enciclopedia de plantas que curan. Buenos Aires: Ediliba, 1987. 2 volúmenes.

2) CONFORTI FILOMENA, et al. Antioxidant, alpha-amylase inhibitory and brine-shrimp toxicity studies on Centaurea centaurium L. methanolic root extract.  Natural product research. 2008, Vol.22, nº16, p.1457-66.