Common names | cornflower, bachelor's button, bluebottle

Scientific name | Centaurea cyanus

Used part | Flower

Known active compounds | Chlorogenic acid, isoquercitrin

Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant

Product name | Cornflower-APD, Cornflower-ANB

Plant Story

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), also called bachelor's button or bluebottle, is an annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and has naturalized in other regions including North America and Australia. The flowers are white to pink and blue to purple in color and consist of ray flowers. It is thought that cornflower has been growing in Britain and Ireland as an archaeophyte since the Iron Age. The flowers are edible and can be used in salads and desserts, and blue color has also been used in foods. Cornflower is also made into teas and consumed to treat fever, constipation, and chest congestion. It can be used for anxiety, depression, and other nervous system disorders as well.

Cornflower is a source of various phenolic compounds. Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, isoquercitrin, and coumarin were identified in cornflower petals. Anti-oxidant activity of cornflower has been reported as well. Flowers of C. cyanus showed scavenging activity against DPPH, nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide oxide radicals.