Biological Activities of Sesquiterpene Lactones Isolated from the Genus Centaurea L. (Asteraceae)

Background: In recent years, a growing interest has developed in the field of biological activity of plant metabolites. Research in this area considering antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and other properties, is currently expanding, reporting various species to possess such biological effects. Among them, Centaurea species are well known to be used in ethnomedicine. The Centaurea genus (Asteraceae) is represented by more than 500 species, mostly located in the Mediterranean region and Western Asia. Keywords: Centaurea, sesquiterpene lactones, antibacterial, antifungal, biological activities, plant metabolites.