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The identification of safflower filament targets and the precise localization of picking points are fundamental prerequisites for achieving automated filament retrieval. In light of challenges such as severe occlusion of targets, low recognition accuracy, and the considerable size of models in unstructured environments, this paper introduces a novel lightweight YOLO-SaFi model. The architectural design of this model features a Backbone layer incorporating the StarNet network; a Neck layer introducing a novel ELC convolution module to refine the C2f module; and a Head layer implementing a new lightweight shared convolution detection head, Detect_EL. Furthermore, the loss function is enhanced by upgrading CIoU to PIoUv2. These enhancements significantly augment the model's capability to perceive spatial information and facilitate multi-feature fusion, consequently enhancing detection performance and rendering the model more lightweight. Performance evaluations conducted via comparative experiments with the baseline model reveal that YOLO-SaFi achieved a reduction of parameters, computational load, and weight files by 50.0%, 40.7%, and 48.2%, respectively, compared to the YOLOv8 baseline model. Moreover, YOLO-SaFi demonstrated improvements in recall, mean average precision, and detection speed by 1.9%, 0.3%, and 88.4 frames per second, respectively. Finally, the deployment of the YOLO-SaFi model on the Jetson Orin Nano device corroborates the superior performance of the enhanced model, thereby establishing a robust visual detection framework for the advancement of intelligent safflower filament retrieval robots in unstructured environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saffron, renowned for its aroma and flavor, is susceptible to adulteration due to its high value and demand. Current detection methods, including ISO standards, often fail to identify specific adulterants such as safflower or turmeric up to 20% (w/w). Therefore, the quest continues for robust screening methods using advanced techniques to tackle this persistent challenge of safeguarding saffron quality and authenticity. Advanced techniques such as time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), with its molecular specificity and high sensitivity, offer promising solutions. Samples of pure saffron and saffron adulterated with safflower and turmeric at three inclusion levels (5%, 10%, and 20%) were analyzed without prior treatment. Spectral analysis revealed distinct signatures for pure saffron, safflower, and turmeric. Through principal component analysis (PCA), TOF-SIMS effectively discriminated between pure saffron and saffron adulterated with turmeric and safflower at different inclusion levels. The variation between the groups is attributed to the characteristic peaks of safflower and the amino group peaks and mineral peaks of saffron. Additionally, a study was conducted to demonstrate that semi-quantification of the level of safflower inclusion can be achieved from the normalized values of its characteristic peaks in the saffron matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower is known as a tolerant plant to abiotic stress factors. This study was conducted to introduce some physiological indices to improve drought-tolerant safflower genotypes for cultivation in marginal and arid areas. Six safflower genotypes were studied for two years (2017–2019) in the East Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Centre of Iran under non-stressed and low-water conditions from flowering to seed maturity. The occurrence of water deficits led to a significant decrease in relative water content (RWC), stomatal conductance (gs), osmotic adjustment (Oadj), water potential (WP) and agronomic water use efficiency (WUEa) and an increase in the water stress index (CWSI). In addition, the values of these traits differed significantly between the safflower genotypes. The correlations between the physiological traits and seed yield were significant. The regression relationships between seed yield and the above traits showed that CWSI, WP and WUEa had a strong relationship with seed yield under normal (R2 = 0.854, 0.801 and 0.856, respectively) and water deficit conditions (R2 = 0.931, 0.877 and 0.900, respectively). It can be concluded that the CWSI, WP and WUEa indices are able to select high-yielding and drought-tolerant safflower genotypes for the late season. Among the components of seed yield, the number of capitula per plant (r = 0.86) and seeds per capitula (r = 0.92), which were positively and significantly correlated with seed yield, played the main roles in the formation of seed yield. The Golemehr and Mec.295 genotypes achieved higher seed yields under normal (4676 and 4961 kg h−1, respectively) and water deficit conditions (3211 and 3385 kg h−1, respectively) and can be recommended for cultivation in marginal and arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a multipurpose minor crop consumed by developed and developing nations around the world with limited research funding and genetic resources. Genomic selection (GS) is an effective modern breeding tool that can help to fast-track the genetic diversity preserved in genebank collections to facilitate rapid and efficient germplasm improvement and variety development. In the present study, we simulated four GS strategies to compare genetic gains and inbreeding during breeding cycles in a safflower recurrent selection breeding program targeting grain yield (GY) and seed oil content (OL). We observed positive genetic gains over cycles in all four GS strategies, where the first cycle delivered the largest genetic gain. Single-trait GS strategies had the greatest gain for the target trait but had very limited genetic improvement for the other trait. Simultaneous selection for GY and OL via indices indicated higher gains for both traits than crossing between the two single-trait independent culling strategies. The multi-trait GS strategy with mating relationship control (GS_GY + OL + Rel) resulted in a lower inbreeding coefficeint but a similar gain compared to that of the GS_GY + OL (without inbreeding control) strategy after a few cycles. Our findings lay the foundation for future safflower GS breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability is a major challenge concerning food security; therefore, there is a need for pragmatic solutions to improve agricultural production. Henceforth, this study was planned to optimize the planting time of exotic safflowers under the prevailing conditions in Faisalabad, Pakistan. A study was executed by employing a split-plot design with six safflower accessions and five sowing dates ranging from 31 October 2019 to 31 December 2019. The results of the experimental safflower accession PI-198990 produced significant seed yields (2432 kg ha−1, 2772 kg ha−1 and 2366 kg ha−1) when sown on 30 November 2019, 15 December 2019, and 31 December 2019, respectively. On the other hand, on 31 October 2019 and 30 November 2019, sown safflower accessions PI-208677 and PI-250187 were the best performers, respectively. However, a higher achene oil percentage (31.5% and 30.8%) was noted in accessions PI-250187 and PI-314650 when sown on 31 December 2019 and 15 December 2019, respectively. The highest oleic acid content (22.92% and 22.83%) was determined in accession PI-314650 when planted on 30 November 2019 and 15 December 2019, respectively, whereas a higher linoleic acid content was observed on 31 October 2019 and 30 November 2019. Stability analysis showed that safflower accession PI-210834 was the most stable under all sowing environments, followed by PI-314650. Correlation analysis showed that oil percentage showed a negative correlation with phenological traits and growing degree days, and oil yield showed a strong positive relationship with heads, seed yield, biological yield, thousand seed weight, and harvest index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonol synthase gene (FLS) is a member of the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (2-ODD) superfamily and plays an important role in plant flavonoids biosynthetic pathways. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), a key source of traditional Chinese medicine, is widely cultivated in China. Although the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway has been studied in several model species, it still remains to be explored in safflower. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of CtFLS1 gene in flavonoid biosynthesis and drought stress responses. The bioinformatics analysis on the CtFLS1 gene showed that it contains two FLS-specific motifs (PxxxIRxxxEQP and SxxTxLVP), suggesting its independent evolution. Further, the expression level of CtFLS1 in safflower showed a positive correlation with the accumulation level of total flavonoid content in four different flowering stages. In addition, CtFLS1-overexpression (OE) Arabidopsis plants significantly induced the expression levels of key genes involved in flavonol pathway. On the contrary, the expression of anthocyanin pathway-related genes and MYB transcription factors showed down-regulation. Furthermore, CtFLS1-OE plants promoted seed germination, as well as resistance to osmotic pressure and drought, and reduced sensitivity to ABA compared to mutant and wild-type plants. Moreover, CtFLS1 and CtANS1 were both subcellularly located at the cell membrane and nucleus; the yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay showed that they interacted with each other at the cell membrane. Altogether, these findings suggest the positive role of CtFLS1 in alleviating drought stress by stimulating flavonols and anthocyanin accumulation in safflower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgreens are a new, rapidly growing group of foodstuffs. The decorative function of these is often accompanied by their use in traditional dishes. As microgreens are eaten at very early stages, when the development of the epidermis is at its minimum, the bioavailability of minerals will be found to be higher in microgreens then in mature vegetables. So, microgreens can be an excellent functional food, especially for mineral-deficient populations, although they can also be a source of contaminants such as heavy metals or nitrates and nitrites. The purpose of this study was to measure the levels of selected heavy metals (i.e., cadmium, arsenic, lead, chromium, aluminium, zinc, copper, cobalt, molybdenum, manganese, vanadium, boron, antimony, thallium, titanium and strontium), as well as nitrates and nitrites, in microgreens at various stage of vegetation, using uncommon oilseed plants like nigella—Nigella sativa L., safflower—Carthamus tinctorius L., and camelina—Camelina sativa L. The examined microgreens of rare oilseed plants may be a source of contaminants and nitrates. The mineral profile of these plants is mainly determined by their genotype. Microgreens' cultivation involves compliance with safety standards and replicable conditions to guarantee that the highest nutritional value is reached at the lowest possible contaminant level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an ancient oilseed crop of interest due to its diversity of end-use industrial and food products. Proteomic and metabolomic profiling of its organs during seed development, which can provide further insights on seed quality attributes to assist in variety and product development, has not yet been undertaken. In this study, an integrated proteome and metabolic analysis have shown a high complexity of lipophilic proteins and metabolites differentially expressed across organs and tissues during seed development and petal wilting. We demonstrated that these approaches successfully discriminated safflower reproductive organs and developmental stages with the identification of 2179 unique compounds and 3043 peptides matching 724 unique proteins. A comparison between cotyledon and husk tissues revealed the complementarity of using both technologies, with husks mostly featuring metabolites (99%), while cotyledons predominantly yielded peptides (90%). This provided a more complete picture of mechanisms discriminating the seed envelope from what it protected. Furthermore, we showed distinct molecular signatures of petal wilting and colour transition, seed growth, and maturation. We revealed the molecular makeup shift occurring during petal colour transition and wilting, as well as the importance of benzenoids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, and pigments. Finally, our study emphasizes that the biochemical mechanisms implicated in the growing and maturing of safflower seeds are complex and far-reaching, as evidenced by AraCyc, PaintOmics, and MetaboAnalyst mapping capabilities. This study provides a new resource for functional knowledge of safflower seed and potentially further enables the precision development of novel products and safflower varieties with biotechnology and molecular farming applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of the low pickup efficiency of the robotic arm when harvesting safflower filaments, we established a pickup trajectory cycle and an improved velocity profile model for the harvest of safflower filaments according to the growth characteristics of safflower. Bezier curves were utilized to optimize the picking trajectory, mitigating the abrupt changes produced by the delta mechanism during operation. Furthermore, to overcome the slow convergence speed and the tendency of the ant colony algorithm to fall into local optima, a safflower harvesting trajectory planning method based on an ant colony genetic algorithm is proposed. This method includes enhancements through an adaptive adjustment mechanism, pheromone limitation, and the integration of optimized parameters from genetic algorithms. An optimization model with working time as the objective function was established in the MATLAB environment, and simulation experiments were conducted to optimize the trajectory using the designed ant colony genetic algorithm. The simulation results show that, compared to the basic ant colony algorithm, the path length with the ant colony genetic algorithm is reduced by 1.33% to 7.85%, and its convergence stability significantly surpasses that of the basic ant colony algorithm. Field tests demonstrate that, while maintaining an S-curve velocity, the ant colony genetic algorithm reduces the harvesting time by 28.25% to 35.18% compared to random harvesting and by 6.34% to 6.81% compared to the basic ant colony algorithm, significantly enhancing the picking efficiency of the safflower-harvesting robotic arm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower is a multipurpose crop with several uses that can offer benefits to rainfed cereal-based cropping systems due to its tolerance to cold, drought, salinity, and its reduced need for agricultural inputs. Safflower requires good weed control for optimum yields because it is a very poor competitor with weeds, especially at the early growth stage, but registered pre-emergence herbicides are not available. This research investigated the effects of several pre-emergence herbicides on weed control and the yield of safflower in central Italy, through two field experiments in 2019 and 2020. Aclonifen, metazachlor, s-metolachlor, propyzamide, and metribuzin were applied as pre-emergence herbicides. The main weeds were the following: Papaver rhoeas L., Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq., and Ammi majus L. in experiment 1, and wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in experiment 2. Metazachlor and metribuzin gave the highest phytotoxicity on safflower in both experiments, with values ranging from 48% to 75% and from 30% to 75% (in a scale of 0–100%), respectively, and seem to be not advisable as pre-emergence herbicides. Aclonifen, s-metolachlor, and propyzamide can be considered selective and safe to the safflower, showing the lowest values of phytotoxicity that ranged from 0 to 10%. Metazachlor and s-metolachlor gave the highest total weed control with values of 92% and 97%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) are bioactive compounds widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Carthamus tinctorius is an important economic crop, and its suspension cells are rich in CGAs. However, little is known about the biosynthesis and regulation of CGAs in Carthamus tinctorius cells. This study first elucidated the regulatory mechanism of CGA biosynthesis in methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-treated Carthamus tinctorius cells and the role of the MeJA-responsive hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) gene in enhancing their CGA accumulation. Firstly, temporal changes in intracellular metabolites showed that MeJA increased the intracellular CGA content up to 1.61-fold to 100.23 mg·g−1. Meanwhile, 31 primary metabolites showed significant differences, with 6 precursors related to increasing CGA biosynthesis. Secondly, the transcriptome data revealed 3637 new genes previously unannotated in the Carthamus tinctorius genome and 3653 differentially expressed genes. The genes involved in the plant signaling pathway and the biosynthesis of CGAs and their precursors showed a general up-regulation, especially the HCT gene family, which ultimately promoted CGA biosynthesis. Thirdly, the expression of a newly annotated and MeJA-responsive HCT gene (CtHCT, CtNewGene_3476) was demonstrated to be positively correlated with CGA accumulation in the cells, and transient overexpression of CtHCT enhanced CGA accumulation in tobacco. Finally, in vitro catalysis kinetics and molecular docking simulations revealed the ability and mechanism of the CtHCT protein to bind to various substrates and catalyze the formation of four hydroxycinnamic esters, including CGAs. These findings strengthened our understanding of the regulatory mechanism of CGA biosynthesis, thereby providing theoretical support for the efficient production of CGAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed storage underpins global agriculture and the seed trade and revealing the mechanisms of seed aging is essential for enhancing seed longevity management. Safflower is a multipurpose oil crop, rich in unsaturated fatty acids that are at high risk of peroxidation as a contributory factor to seed aging. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for safflower seed viability loss are not yet elucidated. We used controlled deterioration (CDT) conditions of 60% relative humidity and 50 °C to reduce germination in freshly harvested safflower seeds and analyzed aged seeds using biochemical and molecular techniques. While seed malondialdehyde (MDA) and fatty acid content increased significantly during CDT, catalase activity and soluble sugar content decreased. KEGG analysis of gene function and qPCR validation indicated that aging severely impaired several key functional and biosynthetic pathways including glycolysis, fatty acid metabolism, antioxidant activity, and DNA replication and repair. Furthermore, exogenous sucrose and diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) treatment partially promoted germination in aged seeds, further demonstrating the vital role of impaired sugar and fatty acid metabolism during the aging and recovery processes. We concluded that energy metabolism and genetic integrity are impaired during aging, which contributes to the loss of seed vigor. Such energy metabolic pathways as glycolysis, fatty acid degradation, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) are impaired, especially fatty acids produced by the hydrolysis of triacylglycerols during aging, as they are not efficiently converted to sucrose via the glyoxylate cycle to provide energy supply for safflower seed germination and seedling growth. At the same time, the reduced capacity for nucleotide synthesis capacity and the deterioration of DNA repair ability further aggravate the damage to DNA, reducing seed vitality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) has been recognized for its medicinal value, but there have been limited studies on the glycosyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoid glycosides from safflower. In this research, we identified two highly efficient flavonoid O-glycosyltransferases, CtOGT1 and CtOGT2, from safflower performing local BLAST alignment. By constructing a prokaryotic expression vector, we conducted in vitro enzymatic reactions and discovered that these enzymes were capable of catalyzing two-step O-glycosylation using substrates such as kaempferol, quercetin, and eriodictyol. Moreover, they exhibited efficient catalytic activity towards various compounds, including flavones (apigenin, scutellarein), dihydrochalcone (phloretin), isoflavones (genistein, daidzein), flavanones (naringenin, glycyrrhizin), and flavanonols (dihydrokaempferol), leading to the formation of O-glycosides. The broad substrate specificity of these enzymes is noteworthy. This study provides valuable insights into the biosynthetic pathways of flavonoid glycosides in safflower. The discovery of CtOGT1 and CtOGT2 enhances our understanding of the enzymatic processes involved in synthesizing flavonoid glycosides in safflower, contributing to the overall comprehension of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in this plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young shoots are a completely new and rapidly growing group of foodstuffs. Also known as "vegetable confetti", they are a useful addition to commonly consumed meals and often serve a decorative purpose, especially when paired with traditional dishes. Most users are unaware of their invaluable properties as a source of bioactive compounds and add them simply as a dish garnish. Hence, the aim of this study is to evaluate and compare selected health quality parameters of the young shoots of rare oilseed plants (Nigella sativa L., Carthamus tinctorius L., and Camelina sativa L.), which have not been studied in the literature. They are examined for proximate composition (dry matter, total protein, crude fat, ash, digestible carbohydrates, dietary fiber), antioxidative properties (vitamin C, total carotenoids, and total polyphenol content), the content of sixteen selected minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, sulphur, selenium, barium, iron, lithium, beryllium, nickel, gallium, indium, bismuth, silver) as well as antioxidant activity at two harvest dates. The ready-to-eat young shoots in the phase of intensive growth are characterized by a very high content of the examined components and antioxidant properties, which differ depending on the harvest date and plant species. Significantly higher contents of protein, fat, and some minerals have been found in the young shoots from the first harvest compared to those from the second harvest. The antioxidant properties of the young shoots generally increase with maturity. It was not possible, however, to conclusively assess which species of young shoots show the highest health quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) investigation of embryogenic callus and somatic embryo regenerated shoots of Carthamus tinctorius revealed the presence of a variety of sugars, sugar acids, sugar alcohols, fatty acids, organic acids, and amino acids of broad therapeutic value. The in vitro developed inflorescence contained a wide range of active compounds. In embryogenic calluses, important flavonoids like naringenin, myricetin, kaempferol, epicatechin gallate, rutin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and delphinidin were identified. To augment the synthesis of active compounds, the effect of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) elicitation was tested for various treatments (T1–T4) along with a control (T0). Varying concentrations of CdCl2 [0.05 mM (T1), 0.10 mM (T2), 0.15 mM (T3), and 0.20 mM (T4)] were added to the MS medium, and flavonoid accumulation was quantified through ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectroscopy (UHPLC–MS/MS). The flavonoids naringenin, kaempferol, epicatechin gallate, pelargonidin, cyanidin, and delphinidin increased by 6.7-, 1.9-, 3.3-, 2.1-, 1.9-, and 4.4-fold, respectively, at T3, whereas quercetin, myricetin, rutin, and peonidin showed a linear increase with the increase in CdCl2 levels. The impacts of stress markers, i.e., ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), on defense responses in triggering synthesis were also evaluated. The maximum APX and SOD activity was observed at T3, while CAT activity was at its maximum at T2. The impact of elicitor on biochemical attributes like protein, proline, sugar, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was investigated. The maximum protein, proline, and sugar accumulation was noted at high elicitor dose T4, while the maximum MDA content was noted at T3. These elevated levels of biochemical parameters indicated stress in culture, and the amendment of CdCl2 in media thus could be a realistic approach for enhancing secondary metabolite synthesis in safflower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the complete biosynthesis process of flavonoid glycosides in safflower, specifically the key glycosyltransferase that might be involved, as well as to develop an efficient biocatalyst to synthesize flavonoid glycosides, a glycosyltransferase CtUGT4, with flavonoid-O-glycosyltransferase activity, was identified in safflower. The fusion protein of CtUGT4 was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, and the target protein was purified. The recombinant protein can catalyze quercetin to form quercetin-7-O-glucoside, and kaempferol to form kaempferol-3-O in vitro, and a series of flavones, flavonols, dihydroflavones, chalcones, and chalcone glycosides were used as substrates to generate new products. CtUGT4 was expressed in the tobacco transient expression system, and the enzyme activity results showed that it could catalyze kaempferol to kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, and quercetin to quercetin-3-O-glucoside. After overexpressing CtUGT4 in safflower, the content of quercetin-3-O-rutinoside in the safflower florets increased significantly, and the content of quercetin-3-O-glucoside also tended to increase, which preliminarily confirmed the function of CtUGT4 flavonoid-O-glycosyltransferase. This work demonstrated the flavonoid-O-glycosyltransferase function of safflower CtUGT4 and showed differences in the affinity for different flavonoid substrates and the regioselectivity of catalytic sites in safflower, both in vivo and in vitro, providing clues for further research regarding the function of UGT genes, as well as new ideas for the cultivation engineering of the directional improvement of effective metabolites in safflower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factors possess DNA-binding and dimerization domains and are involved in various biological and physiological processes, such as growth and development, the regulation of secondary metabolites, and stress response. However, the bHLH gene family in C. tinctorius has not been investigated. In this study, we performed a genome-wide identification and analysis of bHLH transcription factors in C. tinctorius. A total of 120 CtbHLH genes were identified, distributed across all 12 chromosomes, and classified into 24 subfamilies based on their phylogenetic relationships. Moreover, the 120 CtbHLH genes were subjected to comprehensive analyses, including protein sequence alignment, evolutionary assessment, motif prediction, and the analysis of promoter cis-acting elements. The promoter region analysis revealed that CtbHLH genes encompass cis-acting elements and were associated with various aspects of plant growth and development, responses to phytohormones, as well as responses to both abiotic and biotic stresses. Expression profiles, sourced from transcriptome databases, indicated distinct expression patterns among these CtbHLH genes, which appeared to be either tissue-specific or specific to certain cultivars. To further explore their functionality, we determined the expression levels of fifteen CtbHLH genes known to harbor motifs related to abiotic and hormone responses. This investigation encompassed treatments with ABA, salt, drought, and MeJA. The results demonstrated substantial variations in the expression patterns of CtbHLH genes in response to these abiotic and hormonal treatments. In summary, our study establishes a solid foundation for future inquiries into the roles and regulatory mechanisms of the CtbHLH gene family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate acquisition of safflower filament information is the prerequisite for robotic picking operations. To detect safflower filaments accurately in different illumination, branch and leaf occlusion, and weather conditions, an improved Faster R-CNN model for filaments was proposed. Due to the characteristics of safflower filaments being dense and small in the safflower images, the model selected ResNeSt-101 with residual network structure as the backbone feature extraction network to enhance the expressive power of extracted features. Then, using Region of Interest (ROI) Align improved ROI Pooling to reduce the feature errors caused by double quantization. In addition, employing the partitioning around medoids (PAM) clustering was chosen to optimize the scale and number of initial anchors of the network to improve the detection accuracy of small-sized safflower filaments. The test results showed that the mean Average Precision (mAP) of the improved Faster R-CNN reached 91.49%. Comparing with Faster R-CNN, YOLOv3, YOLOv4, YOLOv5, and YOLOv6, the improved Faster R-CNN increased the mAP by 9.52%, 2.49%, 5.95%, 3.56%, and 1.47%, respectively. The mAP of safflower filaments detection was higher than 91% on a sunny, cloudy, and overcast day, in sunlight, backlight, branch and leaf occlusion, and dense occlusion. The improved Faster R-CNN can accurately realize the detection of safflower filaments in natural environments. It can provide technical support for the recognition of small-sized crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress is closely associated with the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. The seeds of Carthamus tinctorius L. (CTS) and Taraxacum coreanum (TC) are reported as herbal medicines for neuroprotection. This study investigated the protective effect of CTS, TC, and their combination against oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in SH-SY5Y cells. The CTS and TC combination dose-dependently increased DPPH and ·OH radical scavenging activities compared with non-combination. The combination showed a higher increased cell survival rate in H2O2-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells than CTS or TC. Moreover, CTS, TC, and their combination-treated cells reduced LDH release and apoptotic cells. CTS, TC, and their combination also inhibited NO and ROS generation. Further, the combination of up-regulated antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) and Bcl-2 protein expressions and down-regulated Bax expression. These findings suggest that the combination of CTS and TC may be beneficial to prevent and treat oxidative stress-mediated neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oilseed crops are widely cultivated and are related to nutrition and human health as valuable nutraceutical sources with valuable biological properties. The growing demand for oil plants used in human and animal nutrition or for the processing industry has contributed to the diversification and development of a new variety of oil crops. Increased oil crop diversity, besides ensuring reduced sensitivity to pests and climate conditions, has also led to improved nutritional values. In order to enable oil crop cultivation to become commercially sustainable, a comprehensive characterization of newly created varieties of oilseeds, including their nutritional and chemical composition, is required. In this study, two varieties of safflower and white and black mustard were investigated as alternative oil species for nutritional parameters, mainly protein, fat, carbohydrate, moisture, ash, polyphenols, flavonoids, chlorophylls contents, acids and mineral composition, and compared with those of two different genotypes of rapeseeds as a traditional oil crop plant. The proximate analysis found that the highest oil content was found in the oil rape NS Svetlana genotype (33.23%), while the lowest was in black mustard (25.37%). The protein content varies from around 26% in safflower samples to 34.63%, determined in white mustard. High content of unsaturated fatty acids and low content of saturated fatty acid was observed in the analyzed samples. In mineral analysis, the dominant elements were phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium, in descending order. The observed oil crops are also good sources of microelements, including iron, copper, manganese and zinc, accompanied by high antioxidant activity due to the presence of significant amounts of polyphenolic and flavonoid compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: An optimized quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) technique was investigated and compared with the conventional QuEChERS technique for the simultaneous analysis of fifty-three pesticide residues in safflower using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). Method: Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) consisting of a major amount of carbon and nitrogen with a large surface area was used as a QuEChERS adsorbent instead of graphitized carbon black (GCB) for safflower extraction purification. Validation experiments were performed using spiked pesticide samples, and real samples were analyzed. Results: The linearity of the modified QuEChERS technique was evaluated with high coefficients of determination (R-2) being higher than 0.99. The limits of detection were <10 μg/kg. The spiked recoveries ranged from 70.4% to 97.6% with a relative standard deviation of less than 10.0%. The fifty-three pesticides exhibited negligible matrix effects (<20%). Thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, metolachlor, and difenoconazole were detected in real samples using an established method. Conclusion: This work provides a new g-C3N4-based modified QuEChERS technique for multi-pesticide residue analysis in complex food matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carthamus tinctorius L. 1753 (Asteraceae), also called safflower, is a cash crop with both edible and medical properties. We analyzed and reported the safflower mitogenome based on combined short and long reads obtained from Illumina and Pacbio platforms, respectively. This safflower mitogenome mainly contained two circular chromosomes, with a total length of 321,872 bp, and encoded 55 unique genes, including 34 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 3 rRNA genes, and 18 tRNA genes. The total length of repeat sequences greater than 30 bp was 24,953 bp, accounting for 7.75% of the whole mitogenome. Furthermore, we characterized the RNA editing sites of protein-coding genes located in the safflower mitogenome, and the total number of RNA editing sites was 504. Then, we revealed partial sequence transfer events between plastid and mitochondria, in which one plastid-derived gene (psaB) remained intact in the mitogenome. Despite extensive arrangement events among the three mitogenomes of C. tinctorius, Arctium lappa, and Saussurea costus, the constructed phylogenetic tree based on mitogenome PCGs showed that C. tinctorius has a closer relationship with three Cardueae species, A. lappa, A. tomentosum, and S. costus, which is similar to the phylogeny constructed from the PCGs of plastid genomes. This mitogenome not only enriches the genetic information of safflower but also will be useful in the phylogeny and evolution study of the Asteraceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a promising oilseed crop for cultivation in central Southern Italy due to its high tolerance to drought and salinity stress and appreciable seed and oil yields. The genetic diversity of cultivars and climate factors can affect fatty acid composition and yield traits. This study aimed to assess the effects of genotype and climate conditions on the productive performance of eight high oleic safflower genotypes under rainfed conditions in Sicily (Italy). These genotypes were compared to the Montola 2000 cultivar, which was used as a reference. Tests were carried out during the growing seasons of 2014–2015 and 2015–2016. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications. Morphological and yield components were significantly affected by genotype while the year had a significant effect on plant height only. In general, CTI 17 produced the highest seed yield (1.40 t ha−1) and oil yield (0.58 t ha−1). The seed oil content was found on 40.2% of dry matter, on average. The "genotype" factor significantly affected oil content and fatty acid composition. Oleic acid content was on average 66.1% and did not vary greatly over the two growing seasons. The above- and belowground plant parts showed the highest carbon content and the lowest nitrogen content as a percentage of dry matter. The results indicate that, under rainfed conditions, yield parameters of high oleic safflower genotypes can be profitable in southern Italy though significantly dependent upon genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to determine variations in flower and dye yield and chemical contents of safflower genotypes with different flower colors in 2017–2018. The flower and dyestuff yields of the genotype ranged between 6.6–12.0 kg da−1 and 218.1–421.7 g da−1, respectively. The TPC and high antioxidant capacity values were listed according to flower color as yellow > orange > red > white. Gallic, rosmarinic and chlorogenic acid were higher in orange-flowered genotypes, kaempferol in red-flowered and catechin in yellow and orange-flowered. The oil content ranged between 4.32–6.12%. In flowers, linoleic acid ranged between 32.77–48.27%, α-linolenic acid 1.85–3.38% and γ-linolenic acid 14.76–18.50%. According to the Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) technique; the main scent molecules of flowers were β-caryophyllene, α-pinene, 1-tetradecene, β-cedrene, α-cedrene and β-myrcene. The C* value of flowers was positively correlated with the total phenolic content and dyestuff content in both years, and genotypes with high C value showed high antioxidant activity. Askon-42 can be recommended for high flower yield, dyestuff content and yield among genotypes, and US-10 genotype for the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. For further research, it will guide the use of different colored safflower flower extracts, which are natural dye sources, in natural cosmetic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonoids are the most abundant class of secondary metabolites that are ubiquitously involved in plant development and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Flavonoid biosynthesis involves multiple channels of orchestrated molecular regulatory factors. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) has been demonstrated to enhance flavonoid accumulation in numerous plant species; however, the underlying molecular mechanism of MeJA-induced flavonoid biosynthesis in safflower is still not evident. In the present study, we revealed the underlying molecular basis of a putative F3′5′H gene from safflower imparting MeJA-induced flavonoid accumulation in transgenic plants. The constitutive expression of the CtF3′5′H1 gene was validated at different flowering stages, indicating their diverse transcriptional regulation through flower development in safflower. Similarly, the CtF3′5′H1-overexpressed Arabidopsis plants exhibit a higher expression level, with significantly increased anthocyanins and flavonoid content, but less proanthocyanidins than wild-type plants. In addition, transgenic plants treated with exogenous MeJA revealed the up-regulation of CtF3′5′H1 expression over different time points with significantly enhanced anthocyanin and flavonoid content as confirmed by HPLC analysis. Moreover, CtF3′5′H1- overexpressed Arabidopsis plants under methyl violet and UV-B irradiation also indicated significant increase in the expression level of CtF3′5′H1 with improved anthocyanin and flavonoid content, respectively. Noticeably, the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay of CtF3′5′H1 in safflower leaves also confirmed reduced anthocyanin accumulation. However, the CtF3′5′H1 suppression in safflower leaves under MeJA elicitation demonstrated significant increase in total flavonoid content. Together, our findings confirmed that CtF3′5′H1 is likely mediating methyl jasmonate-induced flavonoid biosynthesis in transgenic plants via enhanced anthocyanin accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional dyeing methods are practically forgotten in Poland. Józef Rostafiński included questions on the use of dyes in his ethnobotanical survey from 1883. Methods: 126 questionnaires contained information on dye plants. They were identified by the respondents using folk names or sometimes even Latin names. Folk names were analyzed by comparison with other literature. Several voucher specimens were also present. Results: 74 plant taxa were identified to genus or species level. The most commonly used were: onion (Allium cepa), brazilwood (Caesalpinia brasiliensis or Paubrasilia echinata), winter corn (mainly rye Secale cereale), black alder (Alnus glutinosa), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), apple (Malus domestica), birch (Betula pendula), oak (Quercus robur), and violet flowering spring flowers (mainly Hepatica nobilis and Pulsatilla spp.). Conclusions: Most species are well known in the literature about plant dyeing, but the paper provides extra details on the picture of dyeing traditions in Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower is an important oilseed crop cultivated primarily for its seeds, which have pharmaceutical properties. Color is an important agronomical trait that appears to be a prior parameter for evaluating the internal quality of plant seeds. This study employs 197 safflower accessions seeds to analyze how their seed coat and flower colors affect their total oil content, fatty acid composition, total phenolic content (TPC), N-(p-coumaroyl)serotonin (CS) and N-feruloylserotonin (FS) contents, and [2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS)] radical scavenging activities. Significant variations were observed in the targeted metabolite contents and antioxidant properties among genotypes. Notably, the linoleic acid content, total unsaturated fatty acid content, the ratio of total unsaturated fatty acid to total saturated fatty acid, CS, FS, ABTS, and DPPH scavenging capacities varied significantly based on seed coat color, with white-seeded genotypes having the highest average values of these parameters. Moreover, the linoleic acid content differed significantly (p < 0.05) among the genotypes with varying flower colors, with white-flowered accessions having the highest average content. Furthermore, genotypes K185105 (No. 75) and K175278 (No. 146) were identified as promising genetic resources with health benefits. Overall, these findings reveal that seed coat and flower colors distinctly affect metabolite contents and antioxidant properties in safflower seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic resources are the fundamental source of diversity available to plant breeders for the improvement of desired traits. However, a large germplasm set is difficult to preserve and use as a working collection in genetic studies. Hence, the present study evaluates the genetic diversity of 3115 safflower accessions from the Indian National Gene Bank, including Indian cultivars, to develop a manageable set of accessions, with similar genetic variations of germplasm studied. A total of 18 polymorphic SSR markers were used. The genetic diversity analysis revealed that germplasm accessions were highly diverse and there is no correlation between genetic diversity and the geographical collection of germplasm or sourcing of germplasm. A core set was developed using a core hunter software with different levels of composition, and it was found that 10% of the accessions showed maximum gene diversity and represented an equal number of alleles and major allele frequency in the germplasm studied. The developed core consisted of 351 accessions, including Indian cultivars, and they were validated with various genetic parameters to ascertain that they were a true core set for the studied accessions of safflower germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At this stage, safflower picking is mostly performed manually or semi-manually, the picking method is antiquated and the picking precision is low. In this experimental study, a new attitude tilt levelling system was designed for a safflower-picking robot, which has created a solid foundation for the realization of future safflower-picking machine automation. The mobile platform was simplified as a four-point support, and an automatic levelling control system was designed based on the multi-sensor data collected by a multi-inclination sensor, a multi-pressure sensor, and a displacement sensor. The error range of the levelling of the mobile platform was obtained by MATLAB simulation analysis, the relationship between the inclination of the mobile platform and the displacement of the levelling mechanism was analyzed by coordinate transformation, and the maximum levelling range of the levelling mechanism was analyzed. On this basis, an automatic levelling control system was designed. Finally, the safflower-picking mobile platform was tested, and we concluded that the levelling control system can adjust the inclination angle of the mobile platform to within 0.2° and the levelling time to within 7 s. The design of the automatic levelling control system fills the gap in the field of safflower picking and adopts multi-sensor fusion. Compared with other methods, the collected inclination data is more accurate, the levelling accuracy higher, and the levelling time shorter. The final results show that this experimental study provides a strong basis for the realization of the full-mechanical automation of safflower picking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C4H (cinnamate 4-hydroxylase) is a pivotal gene in the phenylpropanoid pathway, which is involved in the regulation of flavonoids and lignin biosynthesis of plants. However, the molecular mechanism of C4H-induced antioxidant activity in safflower still remains to be elucidated. In this study, a CtC4H1 gene was identified from safflower with combined analysis of transcriptome and functional characterization, regulating flavonoid biosynthesis and antioxidant defense system under drought stress in Arabidopsis. The expression level of CtC4H1 was shown to be differentially regulated in response to abiotic stresses; however, a significant increase was observed under drought exposure. The interaction between CtC4H1 and CtPAL1 was detected using a yeast two-hybrid assay and then verified using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analysis. Phenotypic and statistical analysis of CtC4H1 overexpressed Arabidopsis demonstrated slightly wider leaves, long and early stem development as well as an increased level of total metabolite and anthocyanin contents. These findings imply that CtC4H1 may regulate plant development and defense systems in transgenic plants via specialized metabolism. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing CtC4H1 exhibited increased antioxidant activity as confirmed using a visible phenotype and different physiological indicators. In addition, the low accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in transgenic Arabidopsis exposed to drought conditions has confirmed the reduction of oxidative damage by stimulating the antioxidant defensive system, resulting in osmotic balance. Together, these findings have provided crucial insights into the functional role of CtC4H1 in regulating flavonoid biosynthesis and antioxidant defense system in safflower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius. L) possesses anti-tumor, anti-thrombotic, anti-oxidative, immunoregulatory, and cardio-cerebral protective effects. It is used clinically for the treatment of cardio-cerebrovascular disease in China. This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of safflower extract on myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (MIR) injury in a left anterior descending (LAD)-ligated model based on integrative pharmacology study and ultra-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight-tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). Safflower (62.5, 125, 250 mg/kg) was administered immediately before reperfusion. Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC)/Evans blue, echocardiography, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ability, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were determined after 24 h of reperfusion. Chemical components were obtained using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to analyze mRNA and protein levels, respectively. Safflower dose-dependently reduced myocardial infarct size, improved cardiac function, decreased LDH levels, and increased SOD levels in C57/BL6 mice. A total of 11 key components and 31 hub targets were filtered based on the network analysis. Comprehensive analysis indicated that safflower alleviated inflammatory effects by downregulating the expression of NFκB1, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-18, TNFα, and MCP-1 and upregulating NFκBia, and markedly increased the expression of phosphorylated PI3K, AKT, PKC, and ERK/2, HIF1α, VEGFA, and BCL2, and decreased the level of BAX and phosphorylated p65. Safflower shows a significant cardioprotective effect by activating multiple inflammation-related signaling pathways, including the NFκB, HIF-1α, MAPK, TNF, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. These findings provide valuable insights into the clinical applications of safflower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oils derived from non-traditional seeds, such as safflower, milk thistle, and black cumin seeds, have recently grown in popularity. Seed oil is in high demand due to consumer interest in illness prevention and health promotion through healthier diets that include a high concentration of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant phenolic components. This study assessed the quality characteristics of cold-pressed seed oil at three unique storage times: at the beginning of the trial (i.e., before storage), after 2 months, and after 4 months. The results of the performed analyses indicate that the acidity of extracted black cumin, safflower, and milk thistle seed oil fluctuates considerably over time. The highest acidity level change was detected for black cumin seed oil, from 10.26% after the extraction to 16.96% after 4 months of storage at 4 °C. Consequently, changes between pre- and post-storage peroxide concentrations were discernible after four months. Peroxide value in milk thistle and safflower seed oils increased by 0.92 meq/kg and 2.00 meq/kg, respectively, during the assessed storage time, while that of black cumin was very high and fluctuated. The storage period substantially affects oxidative changes and the oxidation stability of the oil. Major changes were observed in the polyunsaturated fatty acids in seed oil during storage. The essential changes were detected in the black cumin seed oil odor profile after 4 storage months. Their quality and stability, as well as the nature of the changes that occur during the storage of oil, require extensive investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to elucidate the anti-inflammatory activity of C. tinctorius leaves by measuring inflammatory parameters such as nitric oxide (NO) production and mRNA expression of iNOS, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HaCaT cells. Further, the effect of C. tinctorius ethanol extract on the MAPKs/NF-κB signaling pathway was examined in HaCaT cells. The phytochemical profile of the ethanol extract of C. tinctorius leaves was determined using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. The results indicated that the ethanol extract of C. tinctorius effectively attenuated LPS-induced secretion of NO, IL-6, and IL-1β in HaCaT cells. Further, LPS-stimulated mRNA and protein expressions of iNOS were decreased by pre-treatment with C. tinctorius ethanol extract at the transcriptional level in HaCaT cells. Moreover, the ethanol extract of C. tinctorius suppressed NF-κB signaling in LPS-induced HaCaT cells. This suppression was mediated by MAPKs/NF-κB signaling, inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38 and p65 in HaCaT cells. However, there is no significant effect on the phosphorylation of JNK by the ethanol extract. The QTOF-MS/MS analysis revealed the identification of 27 components in the ethanol extract of C. tinctorius leaves. The data demonstrate that the ethanol extract of C. tinctorius leaves protects the LPS-induced HaCaT cells by inhibiting the expression of iNOS, IL-6, and IL-1β and suppressing the phosphorylation of the p38, p65, p-JNK via inactivation of MAPKs/NF-κB signaling pathway. These results demonstrate that C. tinctorius leaves may serve as a potential candidate to prevent inflammation-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a highly adaptable but underutilized oilseed crop capable of growing in marginal environments, with crucial agronomical, commercial, and industrial uses. Considerable research is still needed to develop commercially relevant varieties, requiring effective, high-throughput digital phenotyping to identify key selection traits. In this study, field trials comprising a globally diverse collection of 350 safflower genotypes were conducted during 2017–2019. Crop traits assessed included phenology, grain yield, and oil quality, as well as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral data for estimating vegetation indices. Phenotypic traits and crop performance were highly dependent on environmental conditions, especially rainfall. High-performing genotypes had intermediate growth and phenology, with spineless genotypes performing similarly to spiked genotypes. Phenology parameters were significantly correlated to height, with significantly weak interaction with yield traits. The genotypes produced total oil content values ranging from 20.6–41.07%, oleic acid values ranging 7.57–74.5%, and linoleic acid values ranging from 17.0–83.1%. Multispectral data were used to model crop height, NDVI and EVI changes, and crop yield. NDVI data identified the start of flowering and dissected genotypes according to flowering class, growth pattern, and yield estimation. Overall, UAV-multispectral derived data are applicable to phenotyping key agronomical traits in large collections suitable for safflower breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since climate changes have caused water restrictions, safflower stands out as an alternative crop due to its adaptability to restrictive soil and climate conditions. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the physiological and yield performance of four safflower lines (IMA 02, IMA 04, IMA 14, and IMA 21) under two water regimes [without water deficiency—around 22% soil moisture content—100% of field capacity (FC); and with water deficiency—50% of FC]. The water regimes were imposed for 30 days during the flowering phase, followed by rehydration for 20 days. Water deficiency decreased relative water content, water potential, photosynthetic pigment contents, photosynthetic performance, maximum variable and potential quantum yield of PSII, electron transport rate, and photochemical quenching. In contrast, it increased electrolyte leakage, water use efficiency, and non-photochemical quenching. The decreases in photochemical efficiency and photosynthetic performance as a function of water deficiency caused reductions in the number of capitula, 100-grain mass, and harvest index, with more significant reductions in IMA 02, which was considered susceptible to soil water changes. IMA 04, IMA 14, and IMA 21 were considered tolerant because their physiological variables and yield components were less affected by water restriction, and they also showed recovery after rehydration compared to IMA 02. Thus, these lines can be recommended for commercial use, and safflower breeding programs aiming to select superior genotypes under drought conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to modeling the pressing process of an experimental screw press for safflower oil production in small enterprises of the grain processing industry. The theoretical analysis for developing the process of oil pressing in a screw press is considered. Using methods of mathematical modeling, the problem of squeezing the liquid phase from dispersed material is described and solved. The basic scheme and characteristics of the press equipment and the principle of its work are presented. The proposed method of the theoretical calculation of the pressing process helps to determine the optimal parameters and to press safflower oil using the proposed design of the screw press. During the process of pressing, the highest value of oil yield is reached at the diaphragm gap of δ = 0.1 mm and screw rotation speed of ω = 6.2 rad/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals are chemical elements with high density that can be toxic or poisonous even at low concentrations. They are widely distributed in the environment due to industrial activities, mining, pesticide use, automotive emissions and domestic wastes. This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of copper (Cu) heavy metal on safflower plants in terms of genetic and epigenetic parameters. Safflower seeds were exposed to different concentrations of Cu heavy metal solution (20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280 mg L−1) for three weeks, and changes in the genomic template stability (GTS) and methylation pattern in the root tissues were analyzed using PCR and coupled restriction enzyme digestion-random amplification (CRED-RA) techniques. The results indicated that high doses of Cu have genotoxic effects on the genome of safflower plants. Epigenetic analysis revealed four different methylation patterns, with the highest total methylation rate of 95.40% observed at a 20 mg L−1 concentration, and the lowest rate of 92.30% observed at 160 mg L−1. Additionally, the maximum percentage of non-methylation was detected at 80 mg L−1. These results suggest that changes in the methylation patterns can serve as an important mechanism of protection against Cu toxicity. Furthermore, safflower can be used as a biomarker to determine the pollution in soils contaminated with Cu heavy metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oldest painting in the National Gallery collection, The Virgin and Child Enthroned by Margarito d'Arezzo (NG564), dated to about 1263–4, depicts the Virgin and Child in a mandorla, surrounded by scenes of the Nativity and lives of the saints, set within red and decorative black borders, against a gilded background. The materials and technique were investigated using a combination of non-invasive techniques, such as Fibre Optic Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS) and macro X-ray fluorescence scanning (MA-XRF), and the analysis of a small number of paint samples using energy dispersive X-ray analysis in the scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Attenuated Total Reflectance—Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and micro X-ray Diffraction (micro-XRD). The results provided evidence for the use of a number of organic colourants, with both indigo and red lake pigments identified. The finding of an unusual compound, syngenite (K2Ca(SO4)2·H2O), is here postulated as a potential substrate for an organic yellow lake pigment. In addition, reference pigments were prepared to explore this hypothesis. Although documentary evidence confirms that yellow lakes were being produced from an early date, there is very little direct evidence for their use in 13th-century panel paintings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of microsomal (e.g., FAD2) and plastidial (e.g., FAD6) oleate desaturases by cold, heat and salt stress were investigated. Gene expression levels and fatty acid compositions were determined in the roots, stems and leaves of safflower following stress treatments. A safflower plastidial oleate desaturase gene, CtFAD6, was cloned, and oleic acid desaturation was confirmed in Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7942. The results showed that temperature regulated oleate desaturation at the transcriptional level, and this regulation pattern was tissue-specific. CtFAD2-1, CtFAD2-2 and CtFAD6 were significantly induced under cold and heat stress in young leaves, and CtFAD2-2 and CtFAD6 were slightly induced in young stems. In contrast, CtFAD2-1, CtFAD2-11 and CtFAD2-10 were sensitive to salt stress in all safflower tissues (roots, stem and leaves). CtFAD6 was insensitive to salt and was slightly induced in leaves only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promotion of angiogenesis and restoration of the blood flow in the ischemic penumbra is an effective treatment for patients with ischemic stroke (IS). Radix astragali-safflower (AS), a classic herbal pair for accelerating blood circulation and dispersing blood stasis, has been used for thousands of years to treat patients with IS in China. Even so, the mechanism of the treatment of IS by AS is still undecipherable. In the current study, network pharmacology was firstly employed to unveil the mechanism of AS in treating IS, which showed that AS might promote angiogenesis associated with PTGS2 silence. Middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model rats were then used as the experimental animals to verify the prediction result. The experimental results revealed that treatment with AS improved the cerebral infarct volume, neurological damage, and cerebral histopathological damage; inhibited cell apoptosis; increased the contents of PDGF-BB, EPO, and TGF-β1; and reduced the levels of PF4, Ang-2, and TIMP-1 in serum. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that the expression of PTGS2 was dramatically increased in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of rats with MCAO/R, and this trend was reversed by the treatment of AS. Immunofluorescent staining expressed that AS reversed the down-regulation of VEGF and further promoted the expression of CD31, which indicated that AS promoted angiogenesis in MCAO/R rats. The abnormal protein or mRNA expression of PTGS2, PGI2, bFGF, TSP-1, and VEGF in the penumbra were transposed by AS or Celecoxib (an inhibitor of PTGS2). In conclusion, the protective mechanism of AS for IS promoted angiogenesis and was involved with PTGS2 silence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an underestimated and multipurpose crop resistant to environmental stresses. Its oil presents useful chemical–physical properties, potentially exploitable for industrial purposes as a bio-based lubricant. In this work safflower oil was applied as a less toxic alternative to mineral-based hydraulic fluids. The extracted oil was partially refined and the antioxidant tert-buthylhydroquinone (THBQ) was added at two concentrations (0.25 and 3.00 mg kg−1). Efficiency tests of the obtained oil were carried out using an experimental test rig capable of simulating a real hydraulic system and performing severe short-duration work cycles with the aim of strongly accelerating the ageing of the tested oil. Oil performance was verified by monitoring hydraulic and chemical–physical parameters, which were correlated to the main lubricant properties through sensor detection and laboratory analysis in parallel. The results indicated that the safflower oil behaved well at both THBQ concentrations and showed good technical performance (operating pressure and temperature; flowrate and transmitted hydraulic power), though a higher THBQ concentration was necessary to protect the oil's chemical–physical properties from worsening. In fact, the higher THBQ concentration allowed the test to be extended to 270 h, an improvement compared to the 150 h that was achieved with the lower THBQ concentration. Finally, the use of safflower oil for industrial and agricultural purposes seems feasible and would contribute toward the sustainability of the whole crop rotation in a prospective valuable circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharides are the main bioactive components in safflower. In this study, safflower polysaccharides (SPs) were extracted by ultrasonic assisted extraction, and four purified safflower polysaccharide fractions (named SSP1, SSP2, SSP3, and SSP4, respectively) were obtained. The physicochemical properties and in vitro physiological activities of the four fractions were investigated. The molecular weights (MW) of the SSPs were 38.03 kDa, 43.17 kDa, 54.49 kDa, and 76.92 kDa, respectively. Glucuronic acid, galactose acid, glucose, galactose, and arabinose were the main monosaccharides. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) indicated that the polysaccharides had α- and β-glycosidic bonds. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that SSP1 had 6 different types of glycosidic bonds, while SSP3 had 8 different types. SSP3 exhibited relatively higher ABTS+ scavenging activity, Fe+3-reduction activity, and antiproliferative activity. The results will offer a theoretical framework for the use of SPs in the industry of functional foods and medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower is an important economic crop with a plethora of industrial and medicinal applications around the world. The bioactive components of safflower petals are known to have pharmacological activity that promotes blood circulation and reduces blood stasis. However, fine-tuning the genetic mechanism of flower development in safflower is still required. In this study, we report the genome-wide identification of MADS-box transcription factors in safflower and the functional characterization of a putative CtMADS24 during vegetative and reproductive growth. In total, 77 members of MADS-box-encoding genes were identified from the safflower genome. The phylogenetic analysis divided CtMADS genes into two types and 15 subfamilies. Similarly, bioinformatic analysis, such as of conserved protein motifs, gene structures, and cis-regulatory elements, also revealed structural conservation of MADS-box genes in safflower. Furthermore, the differential expression pattern of CtMADS genes by RNA-seq data indicated that type II genes might play important regulatory roles in floral development. Similarly, the qRT-PCR analysis also revealed the transcript abundance of 12 CtMADS genes exhibiting tissue-specific expression in different flower organs. The nucleus-localized CtMADS24 of the AP1 subfamily was validated by transient transformation in tobacco using GFP translational fusion. Moreover, CtMADS24-overexpressed transgenic Arabidopsis exhibited early flowering and an abnormal phenotype, suggesting that CtMADS24 mediated the expression of genes involved in floral organ development. Taken together, these findings provide valuable information on the regulatory role of CtMADS24 during flower development in safflower and for the selection of important genes for future molecular breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliar application or minerals is a methodology to promote growth and/or yield and to protect plants against different kinds of stresses. Currently there is a great interest in evaluating the effect of nanoparticles for enhancing the effect of these treatments. This study was performed to evaluate and compare the effect of foliar application of zinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on the growth and yield of safflower under different irrigation regimes. Foliar applications of ZnO in all concentrations (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 g L−1) led to an increase in biomass yield, number of capitula per plant, number of seeds per capitulum, and grain yield of plants compared with control plants. The maximum increase in the studied traits was obtained with a ZnO concentration of 6, 8, and 10 g L−1. In a second round of experiments, we observed the effect of nanoparticles and found that spraying with ZnO and ZnO-NPs at a concentration of 10 g L−1 may ameliorate the deleterious effects of water deficit. The results of the present study support the idea that foliar application of ZnO improves safflower yield, especially under drought stress, and showed that using of nanoparticles increases the efficiency of the application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium is a widely distributed heavy metal in agricultural soils that affects plant growth and productivity. In this context, the current study investigated the effects of different cadmium (Cd) doses (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg L−1 of CdSO4) on the growth and physiological attributes of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) including plant height (cm), root length (cm), fresh weight (g) of root, stem, and leaves, leaf number, macro and micro-nutrients, Se, and heavy metal (Cd, Cr, and Pb) content. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replicates. The results showed that Cd stress significantly negatively affected all growth indices, macro- and micro-nutrients, and heavy metal content. In addition, it increased the MDA and APX activities. The highest amounts of Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, K, Na, Cd, Cr, and Cu were determined in plant roots, while the highest values of Ca and Mg were detected in plant stem tissues. High Cd doses decreased the content of Ca, K, Mg, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn in safflower plant tissues by 45.47%, 39.33%, 79.28%, 68.21%, 37.06%, 66.67%, 45.62%, 50.38%, 54.37%, 33.33% and 65.87%, respectively, as compared to the control treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notoginseng and safflower are commonly used traditional Chinese medicines for benefiting qi and activating blood circulation. A previous study by our group showed that the compatibility of the effective components of total saponins of notoginseng (NS) and total flavonoids of safflower (SF), named NS–SF, had a preventive effect on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. However, the therapeutic effect on MI and the synergistic mechanism of NS–SF are still unclear. Therefore, integrated metabolomics, combined with immunohistochemistry and other pharmacological methods, was used to systematically research the therapeutic effect of NS–SF on MI rats and the synergistic mechanism of NS and SF. Compared to NS and SF, the results demonstrated that NS–SF exhibited a significantly better role in ameliorating myocardial damage, apoptosis, easing oxidative stress and anti-inflammation. NS–SF showed a more significant regulatory effect on metabolites involved in sphingolipid metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and tricarboxylic acid cycle, such as sphingosine, lysophosphatidylcholine (18:0), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (22:5/0:0), chenodeoxycholic acid, L-valine, glycine, and succinate, than NS or SF alone, indicating that NS and SF produced a synergistic effect on the treatment of MI. This study will provide a theoretical basis for the clinical development of NS–SF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonoids with significant therapeutic properties play an essential role in plant growth, development, and adaptation to various environments. The biosynthetic pathway of flavonoids has long been studied in plants; however, its regulatory mechanism in safflower largely remains unclear. Here, we carried out comprehensive genome-wide identification and functional characterization of a putative cytochrome P45081E8 gene encoding an isoflavone 2′-hydroxylase from safflower. A total of 15 CtCYP81E genes were identified from the safflower genome. Phylogenetic classification and conserved topology of CtCYP81E gene structures, protein motifs, and cis-elements elucidated crucial insights into plant growth, development, and stress responses. The diverse expression pattern of CtCYP81E genes in four different flowering stages suggested important clues into the regulation of secondary metabolites. Similarly, the variable expression of CtCYP81E8 during multiple flowering stages further highlighted a strong relationship with metabolite accumulation. Furthermore, the orchestrated link between transcriptional regulation of CtCYP81E8 and flavonoid accumulation was further validated in the yellow- and red-type safflower. The spatiotemporal expression of CtCYP81E8 under methyl jasmonate, polyethylene glycol, light, and dark conditions further highlighted its likely significance in abiotic stress adaption. Moreover, the over-expressed transgenic Arabidopsis lines showed enhanced transcript abundance in OE-13 line with approximately eight-fold increased expression. The upregulation of AtCHS, AtF3′H, and AtDFR genes and the detection of several types of flavonoids in the OE-13 transgenic line also provides crucial insights into the potential role of CtCYP81E8 during flavonoid accumulation. Together, our findings shed light on the fundamental role of CtCYP81E8 encoding a putative isoflavone 2′-hydroxylase via constitutive expression during flavonoid biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promotion and gradual replacement of fossil fuels with renewable sources increasing the competition between food and fuel. Therefore, energy crops could be produced on unproductive marginal land due to unfavorable conditions, such as limitations in nutrient and water availability or the presence of contaminants such as hydrocarbons or heavy metals. In the case of soils contaminated with heavy metals, one option could be the use of plants to extract or immobilize the contaminants in the soil in a process called phytoremediation. Carthamus tinctorius L. is an annual herbaceous plant with a deep root system, and the oil extracted from the seeds is an excellent oil for conversion into biofuel. It appears suitable to be used in the phytoremediation process, increasing the opportunity to valorize polluted areas and reducing the risk of abandonment of these lands. In this study, C. tinctorius was tested in soils contaminated with zinc, cadmium, lead, and nickel at different concentrations to evaluate the effects on yield and heavy metal content in the different parts of the plant. The experiment highlights the tolerance of Safflower to the cultivation in heavy-metal-polluted soil; in fact, a low reduction in biomass yield was observed. Among the evaluated heavy metals, the higher susceptibility was observed at the highest concentrations of zinc and cadmium. Generally, safflower concentrates heavy metals in the belowground biomass. The relative low concentrations of heavy metals in some parts of the aboveground biomass could suggest the possibility of using it as a feedstock for bioenergy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two polysaccharides from Carthamus tinctorius L. (CTLP-1 and CTLP-2) were purified, and their structures were analyzed by physical and chemical testing. CTLP-1 had a mass of 5900 Da that was composed of arabinose, glucose, and galactose with a mass molar ratio of 6.7:4.2:1. The backbone of CTLP-1 was →1)-α-GalAp-(1→4)-α-Arap-(1→2)-α-Glup-(4→. CTLP-2 had a mass of 8200 Da that was composed of arabinose, glucose, and galactose with a mass molar ratio of 16.76:4.28:1. The backbone of CTLP-2 was →1)-α-Galp-(2,6 →1)-α-Arap-(4,6 →1)-α-Glup-(3→. Both of them exhibited a high reducing power, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS radical scavenging activity, moderate Fe2+ chelating activity and superoxide anion scavenging activity, implying that they might be potential antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to elucidate alleviant effects of boron (B) toxicity by salt pretreatment (SP) on growth response, phytoremediation capacity, photosynthesis, and defense mechanisms in two safflower cultivars (Carthamus tinctorius L.; Dinçer and Remzibey-05). Eighteen-day-old plants were divided into two groups: SP (75 mM NaCl for 5 days) and/or B treatment (C, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mM B for 10 days). Depending on the applied B toxicity, B concentrations in roots and leaves of both cultivars, necrotic areas of leaves, ion leakage (RLR), and H2O2 synthesis increased, while shoot and root length as well as biomass, water, chlorophyll a+b, and carotenoid content decreased. In addition, chlorophyll a fluorescence results revealed that every stage of the light reactions of photosynthesis was adversely affected under B toxicity, resulting in decreases in performance indexes (PIABS and PITOT). However, the cultivars tended to induce the synthesis of anthocyanins and flavonoids and increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, APX, and GR) to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) under B toxicity. SP mitigated the negative effects of toxic B on biomass, water and pigment content, membrane integrity, photosynthetic activity, and defense systems. Considering all results, Remzibey-05 was able to better overcome the biochemical and physiological changes that may be caused by B toxicity by more effectively rendering B harmless, although it accumulated more B than Dinçer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]