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Centaurium erythraea Rafn.


Botanical Name	:	Centaurium erythraea Rafn.
English Name	:	Common or Lesser Centaury. Centaury Gentian. Red Centaury. Filwort. Centory. Christ's Ladder and Feverwort
Synonym(s)	:	Centaurium minus Auct., Centaurium umbellatum Gilib., Erythraea centaurium Auct.
Family	:	Gentianaceae

General Info

Description

An annual, with a yellowish, fibrous, woody root, the stem stiff, square and erect, 3 to 12 inches in height, often branching considerably at the summit. The leaves are of a pale green colour, smooth and shiny, their margins undivided. The lowest leaves are broader than the others, oblong or wedge-shaped, narrowed at the base, blunt at the end and form a spreading tuft at the base of the plant, while the stalkless stem-leaves are pointed and lance-shaped, growing in pairs opposite to one another at somewhat distant intervals on the stalk, which is crowned by flat tufts (corymbs) of rose-coloured, star-like flowers, with five-cleft corollas.

Herb Effects

Appetizer, aromatic, bitter, cholagogue, diaphoretic, digestive, emetic, weakly febrifuge, hepatic, stomachic and tonic (herb)

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Herb Information
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Chemistry

Active Ingredients

Alpha-amyrin, amarogentin, beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, gentianidine, gentianine, gentiopicroside, linoleic acid, oleanolic acid, oleic acid, p-coumaric acid, p-hydroxy benzoic acid, palmitic acid, protocatechuic acid, sinapic acid, stearic acid, sweroside, swertiamarin, syringic acid, vanillic acid (plant)

Chemistry of Active Ingredients

Name

CAS#

IUPAC Name

Formula

Structure

Alpha amyrin

638-95-9

4,4,6a,6b,8a,11,12,1
4b-octamethyl-2,3,4a
,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,
12a,14,14a -tetrade
cahydro-1H-picen-3-o
l

C₃₀H₅₀O

Amarogentin

Not Availablec

[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-4,
5-dihydroxy-6-(hydro
xymethyl)-2-[[(10S)-
10-hydroxy -5-oxo-4
,8-dioxabicyclo[4.4.
0]dec-6-en-9-yl]oxy]
oxan-3-yl]
2,4-dihydro xy-6-(3
-hydroxyphenyl)benzo
ate

C₂₇H₂₈O₁₄

Beta-Amyrin

559-70-6

4,4,6a,6b,8a,11,11,1
4b-octamethyl-1,2,3,
4a,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,1
2a,14,14a- tetradec
ahydropicen-3-ol

C₃₀H₅₀O

Beta-sitosterol

5779-62-4

17-(5-ethyl-6-methyl
-heptan-2-yl)-10,13-
dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9
,11,12,14,

C₂₉H₅₀O

Caffeic acid

Not Available

3-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)prop-2-enoic acid

C₉H₈O₄

Ferulic acid

24276-84-4

3-(4-hydroxy-3-metho
xy-phenyl)prop-2-eno
ic acid

C₁₀H₁₀O₄

Gentianidine

2202-12-2

3-methyl-8-oxa-4-aza
bicyclo[4.4.0]deca-2
,4,11-trien-7-one

C₉H₉NO₂

Gentianine

439-89-4

10-ethenyl-8-oxa-4-a
zabicyclo[4.4.0]deca
-2,4,11-trien-7-one

C₁₀H₉NO₂

Gentiopicroside

20831-76-9

7-ethenyl-8-[3,4,5-t
rihydroxy-6-(hydroxy
methyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy
-3,9-dioxa bicyclo[
4.4.0]deca-5,10-dien
-2-one

C₁₆H₂₀O₉

Linoleic acid

8024-22-4

Octadeca-9,12-dienoi
c acid

C₁₈H₃₂O₂

Oleanolic acid

508-02-1

10-hydroxy-2,2,6a,6b
,9,9,12a-heptamethyl
-1,3,4,5,6,6a,7,8,8a
,10,11,12,
13,14b-tetradecahydr
opicene-4a-carboxyli
c acid

C₃₀H₄₈O₃

Oleic acid

8046-01-3

octadec-9-enoic acid

C₁₈H₃₄O₂

P-coumaric acid

501-98-4

3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)p
rop-2-enoic acid

C₉H₈O₃

p-Hydroxybenzoic acid

99-96-7

4-hydroxybenzoic
acid

C₇H₆O₃

Palmitic acid

66321-94-6

Hexadecanoic acid

C₁₆H₃₂O₂

Protocatechuic acid

5417-95-8

N,N-diethyl-N'-(2,4,
8,9-tetrazabicyclo[4
.3.0]nona-2,4,7,10-t
etraen-5-y l)propan
e-1,3-diamine

C₁₂H₂₀N₆

Sinapic acid

530-59-6

3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dim
ethoxy-phenyl)prop-2
-enoic acid

C₁₁H₁₂O₅

Stearic acid

82497-27-6

octadecanoic acid

C₁₈H₃₆O₂

Sweroside

14215-86-2

(1S,9S,10S)-10-ethen
yl-9-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6
R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-
6-(hydroxy methyl)o
xan-2-yl]oxy-4,8-dio
xabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-
6-en-5-one

C₁₆H₂₂O₉

Swertiamarin

17388-39-5

(1R,9S,10R)-10-ethen
yl-1-hydroxy-9-[(2S,
3R,4S,5R,6R)-3,4,5-t
rihydroxy- 6-(hydro
xymethyl)oxan-2-yl]o
xy-4,8-dioxabicyclo[
4.4.0]dec-6-en-5-one

C₁₆H₂₂O₁₀

Syringic acid

64887-60-1

4-hydroxy-3,5-dimeth
oxy-benzoic acid

C₉H₁₀O₅

Vanillic acid

Not Available

4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-
benzoic acid

C₈H₈O₄

Pharmacology

Medicinal Use

Acts on the liver and kidneys, purifies the blood and is an excellent tonic for the digestive system; good application to wounds and sores (fresh herb), Anorexia, kidney stones, anemia, as well as all digestive problems, including dyspepsia, constipation, flatulence, heartburn, etc.

Reference

Stary, Medicinal Herbs and Plants.

Beerhues L. Benzophenone synthase from cultured cells of Centaurium erythraea FEBS Lett1996 Apr 1;383(3):264-6.

Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. 1931 (www.botanical.com).

Johnson Timothy. CRC Ethnobotany Desk Reference.

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