Biochemical characterisation of the seed oils of four safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) varieties grown in north-eastern of Morocco

Summary: The quality of the oil of four safflower varieties, originating from Spain (Rancho), India (Sharda) and Morocco (Cartamar and Cartafri), which were cultivated at the experimental station in Oujda (a semi-arid region of eastern Morocco) was evaluated through analysis of their phenolic and carotenoid contents. The composition of the phenolic compounds of safflower oil has not yet been documented. Therefore, in this preliminary study, Thirty different phenolic compounds were identified, and significant differences between the oil varieties were observed (P < 0.05). In the seed oil from the Rancho and Sharda safflower varieties, the main phenolic compound was trans-chalcone, representing 13.45% and 11.8%, respectively, of the total phenolics, whereas in Cartamar and Cartafri oils, naringin accounted for 26.82% and 16.5%, respectively, of the total phenolics. The total carotenoid contents ranged from 1.13 mg kg-1 (Rancho) to 1.34 mg kg-1 (Cartamar and Cartafri). We observed that β-cryptoxanthin (0.31-0.37 mg kg-1) and β-carotene (0.3-0.35 mg kg-1) were the predominant carotenoids in all of the safflower oils that were studied.