In continuing our investigation on the chemical diversity of Algerian plants, we examined Centaurea omphalotricha, whose chemical composition has been poorly studied. The present work was aimed at characterizing the secondary metabolite pattern of the CHCl3 extract of the aerial parts of this plant that displayed antiproliferative properties in a preliminary screening on HeLa cell line. The chemical analysis led us to characterize the bioactive oxygenated terpenoid fraction which includes, within major known metabolites, two new minor sesquiterpene lactones, centaurolide-A (1) and centaurolide-B (2). The structures of two compounds exhibiting the 12,8-guaianolide skeleton were determined by spectroscopic methods as well as by chemical correlation with inuviscolide (3), a well-known bioactive guaianolide isolated from Dittrichia (=Inula) viscosa. Centaurolides A and B represent the first report of 8,12-guaianolide skeleton in Centaurea genus. The effect of new compounds 1 and 2 and inuviscolide (3) on HeLa cell has also been evaluated.
Keywords: Asteraceae; plant secondary metabolites; sesquiterpene lactones; spectroscopic methods.