Essential Oil Composition of Three Centaurea Species from Turkey: Centaurea aggregata Fisch. & Mey. ex. DC. subsp. aggregata, C. balsamita Lam. and C. behen L.

The essential oils of Centaurea aggregata subsp. aggregata, C. balsamita and C. behen collected in the same habitat from Turkey, have been investigated. A total of 26, 54 and 26 components were identified in C. aggregata subsp. aggregata, C. balsamita and C. behen, respectively. The main constituents of the investigated populations of the three taxa have been revealed as follows: Centaurea aggregata subsp. aggregata: hexadecanoic acid (35.8%), phytol (7.2%), caryophyllene oxide(6.0%), spathulenol (6.0%); C. balsamita: hexadecanoic acid (23.0%), spathulenol (8.9%), germacrene D (2.1%); C. behen: hexadecanoic acid (32.7%), germacrene D (14.8%), and phytol (12.3%).