Common names | centaury, common centaury, European centaury

Scientific name | Centaurium erythraea

Used part | Flower

Known active compounds | p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, kaempferol

Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant

Product name | Centaury Flower-APD, Centaury Flower-ANB

Plant Story

Centaurium erythraea, called common centaury or European centaury, is a flowering plant native to Europe and Western Asia. It has naturalized in other regions and now grows throughout Europe, North America, western and northern Africa, New Zealand, and eastern Australia. The genus name Centaurium comes from the Greek mythology of Chiron, the centaur who used centaury to heal wounds. Centaury has long been used in herbal medicine to aid digestion and relieve fevers. It is also known to have purgative, emmenagogue, and wound healing properties.

There are a few scientific studies reporting constituents and bioactivities of C. erythraea. Aqueous extract of C. erythraea was found to contain p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, and kaempferol. It showed superoxide radical scavenging activity, indicating its anti-oxidant property. Another study also reported flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol derivatives in aqueous extract of C. erythraea.