Seed nutrients and bioactive compounds of underutilised oil crop Carthamus tinctorius L.

Abstract

Seeds of seven different genotypes of underutilised oil crop Carthamus tinctorius L. (Asteraceae) from alternative oil species collection of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (Novi Sad, Serbia), were analysed for their protein, oil, fatty acids, tocopherols and total phenolics contents, with a view to test their diversity and potential as an alternative source of these valuable compounds. Seeds of the tested safflower genotypes had total protein (determined by Kjeldahl method) content from 11.5 to 16.0%, while total oil content (determined by Soxhlet method) ranged from 16.8 to 24.5% of dry matter, on average. Two main unsaturated fatty acids in safflower seeds, oleic and linoleic acids, represent approximately 90% of the total fatty acid content (determined by gas chromatography). Linoleic acid was the dominant fatty acid in all genotypes (61.2-80.2% of oil), while oleic acid was in a negative correlation with linolenic acid content and ranged from 9.6 to 29.5% of oil. The amount of saturated fatty acids ranged from 5.5 to 6.05% for palmitic, and 2.1 to 3.5% for stearic acid. Safflower seed is a source of a-tocopherol (determined by high performance liquid chromatography method with fluorescence detection) and its amount ranged from 358.8 to 461.8 mg/L of oil. The content of total phenolics (determined spectrophotometrically) ranged from 4.0 to 6.0 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of dry weight. This comprehensive screening of valuable chemical compounds of safflower seeds shows the importance of this alternative oil seed crop as a good source of important nutrients and bioactive constituents.

Comparative Study of the Nutritional and Chemical Composition of New Oil Rape, Safflower and Mustard Seed Varieties Developed and Grown in Serbia

“…However, in the case of black mustard and both varieties of safflower, the difference in TPC was not significant. The obtained results are in agreement with previously reported data for safflower [8] and similar to reported data for rapeseed and mustard when adjusted for seed weight [13,36]. The total flavonoid content (TFC) was almost uniform and ranged from 4.56 QE/g DM to 6.11 mg QE/g DM (Table 4).…”

“…Safflower had a higher fat content than white and black mustard and was close to the rapeseed fat content, suggesting that this alternative oil crops would be a suitable raw material for the oil industry. Previous examination of other safflower cultivars grown in Serbia reported oil content from 16.5 to 24.5%; varieties from Morocco contain up to 33.84% oil, while some cultivars from Turkey contain up to 38% oil [8,15,16].…”

“…Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), also known as a false saffron, is vastly cultivated for its flower petals of specific colors and high levels of oil (20-47%) [7,8]. Safflower oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic and oleic acid, and has a low proportion of saturated fatty acids [9].…”