Safflower
(Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a member of the Compositae family; it has been
cultivated around the world for centuries, mainly as a source of edible oil and
dyes. India, the USA, Mexico, Australia, and Ethiopia are the largest producersof safflower for oil extraction, and these countries account for 85% of theworld’s safflower production. Other important safflower-producing countries are
China, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Uzbekistan, and the Russian Federation. As
safflower is more drought and salt tolerant than other oil seed crops, it is
especially suitable for the dry and salty areas where other oil seeds are
difficult to grow. The fatty acid composition of a vegetable oil determines its
best commercial uses.
Safflower has been used for centuries as a kind of
ornamental plant, as medicinal plant, and as cosmetic material in China.
Safflower seed oil with its high linoleic acid content was once largely used in
the preparation of alkyd resins for paints and varnishes. Currently, in view of
its reported role in reducing blood cholesterol levels, it is being utilized as
premium edible oil. It also may be a potential raw material for vegetable
oil-based liquid fuel production in the near future. Safflower oil, due to itshigh oleic acid content, has become a widely used frying oil because of itshigh stability and bland flavor. In this review, after illustrating the fatty
acid composition of safflower seed oil as well as the genetic characteristics of
safflower and their relationships with agronomic traits, a brief analysis of
the current worldwide situation and future prospects of safflower utilization
are presented.
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