Medical uses of Carthamus tinctorius L. (Safflower): a comprehensive review from Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine

Abstract

BackgroundCarthamus tinctorius L., known as Kafesheh (Persian) and safflower (English) is vastly utilized in Traditional Medicine for various medical conditions, namely dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain and mass, trauma and pain of joints. It is largely used for flavoring and coloring purposes among the local population. Recent reviews have addressed the uses of the plant in various ethnomedical systems.ObjectiveThis review was an update to provide a summary on the botanical features, uses in Iranian folklore and modern medical applications of safflower.MethodsA main database containing important early published texts written in Persian, together with electronic papers was established on ethnopharmacology and modern pharmacology of C. tinctorius. Literature review was performed on the years from 1937 to 2016 in Web of Science, PubMed, Scientific Information Database, Google Scholar, and Scopus for the terms “Kafesheh”, “safflower”, “Carthamus tinctorius”, and so forth.ResultsSafflower is an indispensable element of Iranian folklore medicine, with a variety of applications due to laxative effects. Also, it was recommended as treatment for rheumatism and paralysis, vitiligo and black spots, psoriasis, mouth ulcers, phlegm humor, poisoning, numb limbs, melancholy humor, and the like. According to the modern pharmacological and clinical examinations, safflower provides promising opportunities for the amelioration of myocardial ischemia, coagulation, thrombosis, inflammation, toxicity, cancer, and so forth. However, there have been some reports on its undesirable effects on male and female fertility. Most of these beneficial therapeutic effects were correlated to hydroxysafflor yellow A.ConclusionMore attention should be drawn to the lack of a thorough phytochemical investigation. The potential implications of safflower based on Persian traditional medicine, such as the treatment of rheumatism and paralysis, vitiligo and black spots, psoriasis, mouth ulcers, phlegm humor, poisoning, numb limbs, and melancholy humor warrant further consideration.

Antioxidant and Pro-Oxidant Properties of Carthamus Tinctorius, Hydroxy Safflor Yellow A, and Safflor Yellow A

“…The medicinal properties of safflower have been recently reviewed [2,3]. Among mechanisms potentially involved in the protective roles, both anti-inflammatory and antioxidative roles have been proposed.…”

“…Previous studies have demonstrated healthy promoting properties of seed of Carthamus tinctorius L. (safflower), a traditional herbal medicine used across Asia [1][2][3][4]. Carthamus tinctorius L. seeds are known as a source of α-linoleic acid and have been used to obtain cooking oil in Europe [4].…”

“…The flowers of safflower have been used historically as a colorant in food and as dye in the clothing industry. Bioactive compounds such as polyphenols account for the colour and taste of safflower [2]. The phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of safflower seeds and petals has been previously studied [4,5].…”

Untitled

“…There are many chemical compounds in alcuremon, and the main biologically active components of these plants are polyphenols, terpenes, anthocyanins, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannin, glycosides etc. 19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26 .…”

“…Alcuremon contains extract of Gentiana barbata Froel., Carthamus tinctorius L., Terminalia chebula Retz, and Rosa acicularis Lindl., these are composed of many chemical compounds, including xanthones, polyphenols, flavonoids, secoiridoids, rutin, tannins, antioxidant and others. These biologically active compounds had a wide range of pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anticancerogenic, antimutagenic, hepatoprotective, cytoprotective, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antiviral, antiinflammatory and wound healing [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] . D Diosmetin is a flavonoid of the alcuremon and, it barely activates TrkB, like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), also suppresses caspase-3 activation in neurons weakly and nonselective 27 .…”