Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.): An underutilized crop with potential medicinal values

Abstract

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), is cultivated mainly for its seed, which is used for the extraction of high quality edible oil. Traditionally, the crop is grown for its flowers, used for paint industry, textile industry, flavouring foods and making dyes. Safflower is used as cut flowers and also having pharmaceutical potential for the treatment of male and female infertility, cardiovascular diseases, reduction in the blood glucose level, treatment of cancer and reduction in the plasma cholesterol level, etc. Despite having such significant potency, the crop has remained minor, neglected and underutilized. Therefore, there is a need of scientific community to focus the research on this crop and make it popularize as a commercial crop with various values added products. Safflower contains numerous chemical components (secondary metabolites) that possess anticoagulant, antioxidant activities and other human health benefits with pha rma cological importance such as treatment a gainst ca rdiac, reproductive a nd gastrointestinal diseases. Research should be focused on the development of spineless varieties with high oil contents. With all these merits, safflower genetic improvement required to be taken up for enhancing overall productivity and income per unit area. This review provides a brief insight in to the safflower crop biology, related species, world production scenario, its phytomedicinal properties and applications, production constraints and future strategies for its overall improvement.