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Finding methods, which may alleviate drought stress on the growth and biochemical properties of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), as one of the important medicinal plants, is of significance. The objective was to alleviate drought stress on seed germination, seedling growth, and biochemical properties of different genotypes of safflower using 24-epibrassinosteroid (EBR). The experiments, conducted in the greenhouse in 2014 and 2015, were factorial on the basis of a complete randomized block design with three replicates. Drought stress (85 (S1), 65 (S2) and 45% (S3) of field capacity), genotype (Goldasht, Faraman and Sina), and the foliar application of 24-epibrassinosteroid (EBR) (0 and 10−7 M) were tested. Seed germination indices, seedling growth and biochemical properties were determined. The results indicated the significant effects of drought stress on the measured parameters including seed germination, which was the most sensitive stage. The use of EBR significantly increased seed germination and seedling growth, nutrient uptake and grain protein and oil contents, at different levels of stress. EBR significantly enhanced grain N (7.3%) and P (0.5%) uptake, as well as protein percentage (38.7%), even at the highest level of stress (S3), to the levels which were comparable with S1 and S2. The use of EBR may improve seed germination and the growth of safflower seedlings under drought stress conditions by affecting the physiological properties, mainly related to the mechanisms of protein production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower is a climate-resilient, quality oilseed with high resistance to water scarcity, soil salinity, and frost-prone areas, and it has a wide range of applications in daily life, ranging from food to pharmaceutical to industrial. Adapting high-quality oil-content-producing safflower cultivars can help reduce costs and reduce precious foreign exchange in countries like Pakistan. Exotic germplasm imported from the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), consisting of 145 exotic safflower accessions and four local control cultivars were planted under semi-arid conditions in Faisalabad, Pakistan, during winter 2018-19 and 2019-20 season using an augmented design with unreplicated entries and replicated checks. Genotypic coefficient of variability (GCV) analysis revealed significant variation among the accessions of safflower for achene yield plant-1, heads plant-1, and branches plant-1. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant but negative correlation between days to maturity and days to 50% flowering. The results revealed larger achene yields and earlier maturity in safflower planted in early winter. Biplot analysis found that five of the tested accessions had higher achene yield plant-1, while four of the other accessions had a higher percentage of oil than the control, which was the local safflower check-31, which had the highest oil content and best quality traits. Furthermore, the dendrogram revealed that four safflower accessions exhibited higher morphological uniqueness across the investigated traits during both years of study, which can be employed for future varietal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel production represents a great opportunity to reduce marine and land pollution while incorporating circular economy principles into modern society. The objective of this research is to use the response surface methodology to evaluate the best engine performance and emission characteristics of safflower-based biodiesel and diesel mix dual-fuel Compression ignition engines. The optimization aims to increase brake power, and brake thermal efficiency, and reduce brake-specific fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The independent input variables were biodiesel blending ratio, compression ratio, and engine load. The novelty of this study is to optimize the operating parameters of a dual-fuel compression ignition engine fueled with safflower biodiesel and diesel blend fraction. A total of 48 experimental trials were conducted. The oil output from safflower seed in the lab and the biodiesel yield obtained were 26% and 91%, respectively. RSM results predict the optimized magnitude of the biodiesel blending ratio, CR, and EL are B16.66, 16.68, and 12 kg, respectively. The optimal values for dependent parameters, that is, BP, BTE, BSFC, CO, UHC, CO2, and NO were 3.27 kW, 19.60%, 3.30 kg/kWh, 0.0006 (% vol.), 0.8 (ppm), 0.78 (% vol.), and 140.87 ppm, respectively. The cumulative composite desirability was found to be 0.5877. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second biggest aging-related condition worldwide. Dementia, cognitive impairment, and motor impairment are the results of a gradual degeneration of neurons that produce dopamine in the substantia nigra pars compacta and other areas of the brain. The sole goals of current therapeutic approaches, such L-dopa medication, are to reduce symptoms and slow the disease's development. Since PD currently has no known treatment, prevention is more crucial than ever. Numerous significant risk factors have been identified by more than ten years of research, including mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. The majority of current pharmaceutical treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD), the most prevalent neurological movement disorder in the world, focus on symptom relief and are frequently accompanied with unfavorable side effects during extended use. In spite of this, they continue to be the primary PD treatment because there aren't any better options. Many natural remedies derived from fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants can be used to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). Apart from their widely recognized anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, these organic compounds also function as inhibitors in processes related to iron accumulation, protein misfolding, proteasomal breakdown maintenance, mitochondrial homeostasis, and various other neuroprotective mechanisms. The development of nutraceuticals— compounds obtained from whole food sources with potential therapeutic uses—has made it possible to employ several approaches to treat neurodegenerative illnesses like Parkinson's disease. Notably, because nutraceuticals are naturally produced chemicals and may thus have less adverse effects, they are able to market themselves as a "safer" approach. We will examine a few of the significant efforts that have been made to better understand the function of nutraceuticals in Parkinson's disease (PD) in this review. In general, these substances work by modifying signaling pathways, preventing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, and controlling mitochondrial homoeostasis. Crucially, we will describe how the active ingredient in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, activates AMP kinase to give neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease (PD) and explain how its positive effects may be attributed to improving mitochondrial excellence of quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Traditional Chinese medicinal plant, safflower, shows effective for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. This study is aimed at exploring the potential molecular mechanisms of safflower in the treatment of PAH. Methods: Network pharmacology approach and molecular docking were applied to identify the core active compounds, therapeutic targets, and potential signaling pathways of safflower against PAH. Meanwhile, high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was performed to determine the core compounds from safflower. Further, the mechanism of action of safflower on PAH was verified by in vivo and in vitro experiments. Results: A total of 15 active compounds and 177 targets were screened from safflower against PAH. Enrichment analysis indicated that these therapeutic targets were mainly involved in multiple key pathways, such as TNF signaling pathway and Th17 cell differentiation. Notably, molecular docking revealed that quercetin (core compound in safflower) displayed highest binding capacity with NLRP3. In vivo, safflower exerted therapeutic effects on PAH by inhibiting right ventricular hypertrophy, inflammatory factor release, and pulmonary vascular remodeling. Mechanistically, it significantly reduced the expression of proangiogenesis‐related factors (MMP‐2, MMP‐9, Collagen 1, and Collagen 3) and NLRP3 inflammasome components (NLRP3, ASC, and Caspase‐1) in PAH model. Similarly, these results were observed in vitro. Besides, we further confirmed that NLRP3 inhibitor had the same therapeutic effect as safflower in vitro. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that safflower mitigates PAH primarily by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. This provides novel insights into the potential use of safflower as an alternative therapeutic approach for PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSafflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a multipurpose crop and can be grown successfully under moisture-deficit environments. This study assessed the physiological attributes and yield-related traits of two safflower varieties (Dinçer and Balcı) under rainfed and irrigated environments during 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Data relating to physiological and yield-related traits, and soil enzymes were collected. Soil attributes, nutrient acquisition, and yield-related traits were significantly altered by the interactive effect of varieties and growing environments. Higher nitrate (NO3-) accumulation (279.92 and 300 mg N g DW) was recorded in Balcı variety than Dinçer under rainfed conditions. Higher grain yield was recorded under irrigated conditions compared to rainfed environments. Balcı variety produced 2724 and 2464 kg/ha grain yield, whereas Dinçer resulted in 2664 and 2565 kg/ha under irrigated conditions during 1st and 2nd year, respectively. Nevertheless, Balcı produced a higher yield than Dinçer under rainfed conditions. The results indicate that irrigation is crucial for safflower in arid and semi-arid regions. Similarly, Dinçer variety is advantageous under rainfed conditions, whereas the Balcı variety may be more beneficial in irrigated areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Aphids constitute a significant cohort of herbivorous insects, primarily nourishing themselves by extracting plant sap, sometimes posing a notable threat to plant health. Here, we present a comprehensive investigation into the aphid fauna associated with Carthamus in Iran, unveiling 18 species across 11 genera within the Aphididae. Furthermore, 31 associations between aphid species and host plants were recognized, of which two are new for Iran. Our study expands upon prior knowledge by documenting three new occurrences, shedding light on previously unrecorded aphid species in Isfahan and Razavi Khorasan provinces. In addition, we describe the previously unknown male of Uroleucon carthami, offering insights into its life cycle and reproductive strategies. An identification key to the apterous viviparous female aphids living on Carthamus in Iran is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower is a traditional medicine commonly applied for the treatment of varicella in South Sulawesi. The aim of this study is to study the effect of extraction methods and solvents on phytochemical content and antioxidant capacity in the extraction of safflower. The study began with sample extraction with various solvents, i.e., water, ethanol 70, methanol, ethyl acetate and hexane and various methods, i.e., reflux, Soxhlet, hot maceration, cold maceration and room temperature maceration. Each extract was standardized for its phytochemical content, i.e., phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids and the antioxidant capacities were also determined by the radical scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, total antioxidant capacity, cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity and Ferric reducing antioxidant power. The results indicated that the optimum total phenolic content was obtained when the florets were refluxed with methanol, flavonoids were refluxed with 70 % ethanol and carotenoids were Soxhleted with methanol. The research data also showed that 70 % ethanol and methanol have maximal antioxidant capacity. The results conclude that 70 % ethanol and methanol as solvents have the potential to extract the highest levels of phytochemical content and antioxidant substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower is one of the most important cash crops in China. Its production area is concentrated in Xinjiang, Gansu and Ningxia. However, the harvesting of safflower relies mainly on manual labour at present. Particularly, the operating environment is easily affected by weather factors. Fortunately, intelligent harvesting can be expected to improve the efficiency of safflower harvesting with labour cost savings. Previous research often focused on pneumatic, pulling, combing, and cutting harvesting. However, it is still required for manual work during harvesting. The autonomous operation can be realized by combining target detection and navigation in the harvesting robots. However, the complex working environment in the field has limited the accurate recognition and localization in the harvesting process. This study aims to promote the performance of safflower recognition under the complex environment in the field during intelligent harvesting. A lightweight safflower recognition was also proposed using an improved YOLOv8n. The computational resources of the device were then deployed to the model on the mobile for detection. A dataset of 2309 images was created to categorize into two classes: picked and no picked. The safflower blooming was categorized into four stages, namely the bud, first flowering, prime bloom, and septum stage. The prime bloom stage was the best picking time in the most economically beneficial period of safflower. Therefore, the safflower only in the prime bloom stage was picked rather than the bud, first flowering, and septum stage. The improvement procedures were as follows. Firstly, the Vanillanet lightweight network structure was applied to substitute for the Backbone of YOLOv8n, in order to reduce the complex structure of the model. Secondly, the large separable kernel attention (LSKA) module was introduced into the Neck, in order to reduce the amount of storage and computational resource consumption. Thirdly, The YOLOv8n's loss function was revised from the center intersection of union (CIoU) to the wise intersection of union (WIoU), in order to improve the overall performance of the detector. Finally, the stochastic gradient descent (SGD) was chosen to train the model for robustness. The experimental results showed that the frames per second (FPS) of the improved lightweight model increased by 7.41%, while the weight file was only 50.17% of the original one. The precision (P) and the mean average precision (mAP) values reached 93.10% and 96.40%, respectively. Furthermore, the FPS was improved by 25.93% and 19.76%, the weight file was reduced by 21.90% and 25.86%, respectively, compared with the YOLOv5s and YOLOv7-tiny models. Meanwhile, better robustness was achieved in the improved model. The Jetson Orin NX flatform was then selected to deploy for testing. The single-image detection time of YOLOv8n and YOLOv8n-VLWS was 0.38s and 0.27s, which was 28.95% shorter than the original model. The high precision and lightweight of real-time detection was realized for the safflower in the field. The findings can provide the technical support to develop intelligent harvesting equipment for safflower. [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 (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an edible oilseed crop mainly cultivated in marginal lands. This study evaluates safflower crop water requirements to understand its feasibility to cultivate under rainfed ecosystem through a field experiment undertaken at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics research farm, India. Eight improved and stress‐tolerant safflower cultivars (five spiny and three non‐spiny) were evaluated in Vertisols at three soil depths, that is, shallow: <0.60 m, medium: 0.60–1.20 m, and deep:1.20–1.80 m, over 3 years (2009–2012). Wet, normal, and deficit rainfall years were experienced during 2009/2010, 2010/2011, and 2011/2012, respectively. Soil moisture, crop yield, and growth parameters were measured, and field‐scale hydrology was captured through a calibrated one‐dimensional water balance model. Safflower responded to available residual soil moisture which varied with soil depth and rainfall received in different years. Total crop water use was 300–320 mm during the postrainy season, of which about 70% was extracted in deep Vertisols and 55% in medium Vertisols through residual soil moisture. In addition, 30% of water requirement was met through postrainy season rainfall. Safflower grown in shallow Vertisols could only meet 40% of crop water requirement. Spiny cultivar NARI‐H‐15 grown in deep soil recorded a maximum yield of 1890 kg ha−1 in the wet year. Seed yield from spiny cultivars grown in deep and medium soils was nearly similar (1500–1600 kg ha−1) during wet and normal years; a significant reduction in yield (>50%) occurred in shallow soils and also during a rainfall deficit year. Spiny cultivars produced 10%–50% higher seed yield compared to non‐spiny cultivars. Growing safflower in medium and deep Vertisols provides opportunities for crop intensification. Core Ideas: Safflower, cultivated during the postrainy season in semiarid tropics, requires 300–320 mm of water.Residual soil moisture contributes about 30%–35%, 50%–60% and 65%–80%, of the crop's water requirement in shallow, medium, and deep Vertisols.Yield potential of safflower grown in shallow Vertisols was low and was constrained due to moisture stress in the rainfed ecology.Spiny safflower cultivars performed better (10%–50% higher yields) compared with non‐spiny cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphids constitute a significant cohort of herbivorous insects, primarily nourishing themselves by extracting plant sap, sometimes posing a notable threat to plant health. Here, we present a comprehensive investigation into the aphid fauna associated with Carthamus in Iran, unveiling 18 species across 11 genera within the Aphididae. Furthermore, 31 associations between aphid species and host plants were recognized, of which two are new for Iran. Our study expands upon prior knowledge by documenting three new occurrences, shedding light on previously unrecorded aphid species in Isfahan and Razavi Khorasan provinces. In addition, we describe the previously unknown male of Uroleucon carthami, offering insights into its life cycle and reproductive strategies. An identification key to the apterous viviparous female aphids living on Carthamus in Iran is provided.

The research and development of green techniques for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with bioactive plants has gained more attention against toxic chemicals. In this research, the aqueous solution of safflower extract was utilized for the simple, green, and commercial synthesis of AgNPs from AgNO3 solution on the wool yarn. The effect of the amount of extract and AgNO3 on the properties of produced nanoparticles was studied. The analysis of AgNPs by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) system and Ultravioletvisible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy exhibited that the particle size of produced NPs was <57 nm. In addition, the colorimetric data of wool yarn dyed with safflower extract in the presence of different concentrations of AgNO3 solution were also studied. The results showed that the presence of nanoparticles changed the color hue (hᵒ: 86→58), and the absorption of safflower extract on the wool samples increased from 5 to 29. Also, the ratings of washing and rubbing fastness of dyed samples were satisfactory (4-5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Domesticated safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a widely cultivated edible oil crop. However, despite its economic importance, the genetic basis underlying key traits such as oil content, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and flowering time remains poorly understood. Here, we present the genome assembly for C. tinctorius variety Jihong01, which was obtained by integrating Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) and BGI-SEQ500 sequencing results. The assembled genome was 1,061.1 Mb, and consisted of 32,379 protein-coding genes, 97.71% of which were functionally annotated. Safflower had a recent whole genome duplication (WGD) event in evolution history and diverged from sunflower approximately 37.3 million years ago. Through comparative genomic analysis at five seed development stages, we unveiled the pivotal roles of fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) and fatty acid desaturase 6 (FAD6) in linoleic acid (LA) biosynthesis. Similarly, the differential gene expression analysis further reinforced the significance of these genes in regulating LA accumulation. Moreover, our investigation of seed fatty acid composition at different seed developmental stages unveiled the crucial roles of FAD2 and FAD6 in LA biosynthesis. These findings offer important insights into enhancing breeding programs for the improvement of quality traits and provide reference resource for further research on the natural properties of safflower.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), adapted to arid and semiarid regions, is grown for seed and petal production, but the present study aimed to evaluate the possibility of simultaneous forage and seed production in the autumn and middle types of safflower varieties in dual-purpose cultivation in semiarid areas in the shortfall forage period. An experiment was done based on a randomized complete block design with nine treatments and three replications at the Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Agriculture Research, Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran. The treatments included the cultivation of Parnian, Goldasht, and Golmehr varieties with the purpose of seed harvesting as control treatments; the same varieties (Parnian, Goldasht, and Golmehr), once with the aim of forage harvesting at 50% stem elongation stage and seed harvesting; and again with the aim of forage harvesting at 50% branching stage and seed harvesting. The results showed that forage harvesting at the 50% branching stage significantly increased the dry and fresh forage yield compared to the 50% stem elongation stage. The highest fresh and dry forage yields (DFY) (42,229 and 11,266 kg/ha) were related to the Golmehr variety at the 50% branching stage. Forage harvesting at the stem elongation stage decreased the crude protein, protein content, and digestibility compared to the branching stage in three safflower varieties. Parnian variety had the maximum seed yield (2,226 kg/ha) without forage harvesting. The highest seed yield in the second year (2018–2019) of the experiment belonged to the Golmehr variety (1,310 kg/ha) to harvest forage at 50% stem elongation (rapid stem growth) and seed harvest treatment, which compared to the first year (2017–2018), showed an increase of 25%. Finally, the forage harvested amount of all three varieties studied was higher in the branching stage than in the stem elongation stage. These results implied that the Golmehr variety (11,266 kg/ha DFY and 520 kg/ha seed yield) is for dual-purpose cultivation, and the Parnian variety (2,226 kg/ha seed yield) is suitable for only seed production for the semiarid region of Karaj in Iran and similar areas in terms of climate.

Modifying biochar with nano-nutrients is one of the most effective methods in improving the efficiency of biochar in reducing the adverse effects of environmental stresses such as salinity on plant growth and productivity. The possible effects of solid biochar, nano-silicon dioxide enriched biochar, nano-calcium carbonate enriched biochar, and combined application of these enriched biochars on physiological performance of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) were evaluated under different levels of salt stress (non-saline, 6 and 12 dSm−1). Salt stress increased sodium content, reactive oxygen species generation, and antioxidant enzymes activity, but decreased potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, silicon, photosynthetic pigments, leaf water content, and seed yield (by about 36%) of safflower plants. The addition of biochar forms to the saline soil improved growth (up to 24.6%) and seed yield (up to 37%) of safflower by reducing sodium accumulation (by about 32%) and ROS generation and enhancing nutrient uptake, photosynthetic pigments, and water contents of leaves. The combined forms of enriched biochars were the best treatment on reducing salt stress effects on safflower plants. Therefore, application of enriched biochars has a high potential to reduce the harmful effects of salt stress on plants. Enriching biochar with calcium and silicon nanoparticles is a practical method to improve the ability of biochar to adsorb and immobilize harmful elements such as sodium in the rhizosphere. This enrichment enhanced safflower plant growth and physiological efficiency under salt stress by reducing sodium absorption and increasing the availability of beneficial nutrients. [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]

This study investigated the impact of stress modifiers in intercropping systems on seed yield and yield components, physiological traits, and antioxidant activity of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under rainfed (water deficit) conditions. The experimental design included three stressmodulator levels [control, 1 mM salicylic acid (SA), and 10 mM selenium (Se)] and five planting patterns [intercropping one row of safflower and two rows of chickpeas (1S:2C), two rows of safflower and four rows of chickpeas (2S:4C), and three rows of safflower and five rows of chickpeas (3S:5C), and sole cropping of safflower (Ss) and chickpea (Cs)]. The results revealed that Ss treated with Se produced the highest safflower biological yield (4,905.50 kg ha-1) and seed yield (1,259.50 kg ha-1), while Cs produced the highest chickpea biological yield (2,799.67 kg ha-1) and seed yield (852.44 kg ha-1), followed by Cs treated with SA (2,419.25 kg ha-1 and 764.83 kg ha-1, respectively). Conversely, the 3S:5C intercropping ratio (IR) with Se application recorded the highest safflower oil content (32.08%), while Ss treated with Se produced the highest oil yield (358.62 kg ha-1). The 2S:4C configuration with Se application produced the highest unsaturated fatty acid (oleic and linoleic acids) concentrations in safflower, while 2S:4C and 3S:5C treated with Se produced the highest chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b contents in safflower and chickpea. Furthermore, 1S:2C and 2S:4C treated with SA or Se produced the highest proline and total soluble sugars in safflower and chickpea. The SA and Se treatments in the intercropping systems increased catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities compared to the respective control plants (sole cropping) and enhanced oil contents, fatty acid composition, physiological traits, and antioxidant properties. These results underscore the potential of intercropping systems coupled with stress modulator treatments as a sustainable approach for safflower and chickpea cultivation under rainfed conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop simulation models are valuable tools for decision making regarding evaluation and crop improvement under different field conditions. CSM-CROPGRO model integrates genotype, environment and crop management portfolios to simulate growth, development and yield. Modeling the safflower response to varied climate regimes are needed to strengthen its productivity dynamics. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of DSSAT-CSM-CROPGRO-Safflower (Version 4.8.2) under diverse climatic conditions. The model was calibrated using the field observations for phenology, biomass and safflower grain yield (SGY) of the year 2016–17. Estimation of genetic coefficients was performed using GLUE (Genetic Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation) program. Simulated results for days to flowering, maturity, biomass at flowering and maturity and SGY were predicted reasonably with good statistical indices. Model evaluation results elucidate phenological events with low root mean square error (6.32 and 6.52) and high d-index (0.95 and 0.96) for days to flowering and maturity respectively for all genotypes and climate conditions. Fair prediction of safflower biomass at flowering and maturity showed low RMSE (887.3 and 564.3 kg ha−1) and high d-index (0.67 and 0.93) for the studied genotypes across the environments. RMSE for validated safflower grain yield (101.8 kg ha−1) and d-index (0.95) depicted that model outperformed for all genotypes and growing conditions. Longer appropriate growing conditions at NARC-Islamabad took optimal duration to assimilate photosynthetic products lead to higher grain yield. Safflower resilience to different environments showed that it can be used as an alternate crop for different agroecological regions. Furthermore, CROPGRO-Safflower model can be used as tool to further evaluate inclusion of safflower in the existing cropping systems of studied regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of P and Zn is a crucial factor affecting plant growth and yield. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of P and Zn on P-Zn distribution in safflower tissues and seed yield. A two-year study was conducted in farmer fields in northeastern Turkey during 2014 and 2015 years. P applications consisted of four levels (0, 3, 6 and 9 kg P2O5 da−1) that were allotted to the main plots. Sub-plots were composed of three Zn levels (0, 0.5 and 1 kg Zn da−1). The results showed that P and Zn applications had a significant effect on the P and Zn concentration of straw, head, seed, and yield. P concentration in straw, head, and seed increased significantly with increasing P and Zn levels. Zn concentration decreased with high P levels compared to the control, while it increased with increasing Zn levels regardless of P application. At low P levels, yield did not respond to Zn treatments; however, at high P doses, Zn application resulted in a dramatic increase in yield compared to the control. In order to increase seed yield, instead of P and Zn sole application, their combined application was very effective, and doses of 9 kg P2O5 da−1 and 0.5 kg Zn da−1 showed the optimum performance. In conclusion, this study revealed that in P- and Zn-deficient soil, P treatments increased seed yield remarkably, but the combined application of P and Zn resulted in even higher yield increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, to promote sustainable nano-farming, the apparent effects of different concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 ppm) of titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TiO2NPs) solutions on the germination percentage, index and duration of seeds belonging to Balcı, Dincer, Hasankendi, Koc, Olas, and Zirkon safflower varieties were investigated. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to analyze TiO2NPs in germinated safflower varieties. Germination performance was TiO2NPs concentration and variety depended. It was determined that the seed samples displayed different responses to TiO2NPs concentrations; germination percentages were between 20.0±1.15 and 82.9±0.44%, germination durations were between 2.01±0.021 to 3.82±0.017 days, and germination indices were between 9.97±0.606 and 38.97±0.959. While the highest germination percentage (82.9±0.44%) was obtained from Dincer variety with 100 ppm TiO2NP pre-application, the lowest germination percentage (20.0±1.15% and 20.0±1.92%) was obtained from Balcı and Hasan Kendi varieties with 100 and 300 ppm TiO2NP pre-application. According to this result, although the highest germination percentage based on variety was obtained from the Dincer variety, the Balcı variety with the lowest germination percentage provided the most significant increase in the 200 ppm TiO2NPs application dose compared to the control. According to the germination percentage, it can be said that the most effective TiO2NPs application dose in Safflower varieties is 200 ppm. Further research on nanoparticles is needed to determine both the economical doses of TiO2NP pre-application and its uptake by the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Kirkuk University for Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Reproductive success is crucial in dairy farming as it heavily relies on the consumption of a complete mixed ration for the diet. The current study investigated the effects of adding saturated (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to dairy cows' diets on reproductive performance and reproductive hormones during the transition period. A total of 30 Holstein dairy cows were randomly divided into three groups (10 animals in each group), based on parity and body condition score. The cows had an initial body weight of 567.5 ± 40.3 kg (mean ± SD), a body condition score of 3.5 ± 0.26 out of 5 (mean ± SD), and a parity of 1.7 ± 0.02 (mean ± SD). The control group received a balanced ration meeting all the nutrient requirements according to the National Research Council (NRC) guidelines. The SFA group received 1.4% of dry matter (DM) as palm oil (RumiFat®), while the omega group had 5% of DM as safflower (a source of n-6 fatty acids) added from 21 days before parturition to 21 days after, and 4% of DM as flaxseed (a source of n-3 fatty acids) added from 21 to 42 days after parturition. In the Omega group, estradiol concentration significantly increased on artificial insemination (AI) day (12.54 pg/mL). Additionally, serum prostaglandin F2-alpha concentration was significantly higher in the omega group (0.732 pg/mL on day 7 and 1.68 pg/mL on day 14) compared to other groups. The control group exhibited the highest progesterone concentrations at 14 and 21 days post-calving compared to the other groups, other groups. whereas the omega group highest concentration five days after AI. The omega group also showed a significantly higher mean number of follicles >10mm and larger ovulatory follicle diameter. Moreover, a higher percentage of pregnant cows at 120 days in milk, fewer open days, and lower service per conception were observed in the omega group compared to the other groups. In conclusion, supplementing dairy cows' diets with PUFAs during the transition period positively influenced ovarian function, hormone levels, and reproductive performance. [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]

Safflower honey (SH) is highly valued for its unique aromatic components and potentialbiological activity. However, the current volatile profiles on SH are insufficient. Here, we characterized the pollen feature of SH and safflower pollen (SP) from pollen analysis, and performed a widely-targeted volatilome analysis on SH and SP. A total of 374 shared significantly different metabolites were identified between safflower pollen and safflower honey, including 90 terpenoids, 58 esters, 56 heterocyclic compounds, 33 alcohols and others. Of these, hotrienol was the most significantly up-regulated aroma component of SH, and therefore likely to contribute to the sweet and floral flavour. In addition, the characteristic components of safflower essential oil such as linalool, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, benzaldehyde and others were detected in SH. These results suggest that safflower honey may have potential health benefits similar to those of its parent plant and could be used as a novel functional food. [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]

Carthamus tinctorius L. (Safflower) is an important oilseed crop that is cultivated globally. Aphids are a serious pest of safflower and cause significant yield losses of up to 80% due to their ability to multiply rapidly by parthenogenesis. In this study, we report the identification of an aphid-tolerant accession in safflower following screening of a representative global germplasm collection of 327 accessions from 37 countries. Field-based screening methods gave inconsistent and ambiguous results for aphid tolerance between natural and controlled infestation assays and required ~ 3 months for completion. Therefore, we used a rapid, high-throughput hydroponics-based assay system that allows phenotyping of aphid tolerance/susceptibility in a large number of plants in a limited area, significantly reduces the time required to ~ 45 days and avoids inconsistencies observed in field-based studies. We identified one accession out of the 327 tested germplasm lines that demonstrated aphid tolerance in field-based natural and controlled infestation studies and also using the hydroponics approach. Inheritance analysis of the trait was conducted using the hydroponics approach on F1 and F2 progeny generated from a cross between the tolerant and susceptible lines. Aphid-tolerance was observed to be a dominant trait governed by a single locus/gene that can be mobilized after mapping into cultivated varieties of safflower. The hydroponics-based assay described in this study would be very useful for studying the molecular mechanism of aphid-tolerance in safflower and can also be used for bioassays in several other crops that are amenable to hydroponics-based growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), a member of the Asteraceae family, is widely used in traditional herbal medicine. This review summarized agronomic conditions, genetic diversity, clinical application, and phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of safflower. The genetic diversity of the plant is rich. Abundant in secondary metabolites like flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, polysaccharides, fatty acids, polyacetylene, and other bioactive components, the medicinal plant is effective for treating cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and respiratory diseases. Especially, Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HYSA) has a variety of pharmacological effects. In terms of treatment and prevention of some space sickness in space travel, safflower could be a potential therapeutic agent. Further studies are still required to support the development of safflower in medicine. Our review indicates that safflower is an important medicinal plant and research prospects regarding safflower are very broad and worthy of further investigation. [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]

Identifying the cultivars that efficiently take up and use soil phosphorus (P) can reduce the financial and environmental costs of using P fertilizers. To investigate the growth, yield, and P acquisition efficiency of different cultivars of safflower affected by P deficiency and P applications, this study was conducted as a randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications in the Tikmeh Dash research station in East Azerbaijan province, Iran in 2016–2017. The studied factors were P fertilization in five levels (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 kg P ha-1 from Triple superphosphate (TSP)) and safflower cultivars (Padideh and Goldasht). The results showed that under the P deficiency condition, the grain yield of Padideh was about 17% greater than that of Goldasht (1544 vs 1319 kg ha-1). Padideh cultivar was superior to Goldasht in terms of oil percentage (43.2 vs. 40.9%). Grain yield correlated with straw yield (R2 = 0.526**), P concentration (R2 = 0.192**), and the number of fertile capsules (R2 = 0.51**). In general, it is concluded that P concentration in straw is an important factor for grain production in safflower. Although both cultivars showed the greatest benefit-cost ratio of grain and oil yield in the 10 kg ha-1 P treatment, the Padideh cultivar was the superior cultivar. For the conditions of about 7.2 mg kg-1 available Olsen P, the application of 10 kg ha-1 P (50 kg ha-1 TSP) for the Padideh cultivar can be economical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective identification and usage of genetic variation are prerequisites for developing nutrientefficient cultivars. A collection of 94 safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) genotypes (G) was investigated for important morphological and photosynthetic traits at four nitrogen (N) treatments. We found significant variation for all the studied traits except chlorophyll b (chl b) among safflower genotypes, nitrogen treatments and G × N interaction. The examined traits showed a 2.82-50.00% increase in response to N application. Biological yield (BY) reflected a significantly positive correlation with fresh shoot weight (FSW), root length (RL), fresh root weight (FRW) and number of leaves (NOL), while a significantly positive correlation was also observed among carotenoids (C), chlorophyll a (chl a), chl b and total chlorophyll content (CT) under all treatments. Superior genotypes with respect to plant height (PH), FSW, NOL, RL, FRW and BY were clustered into Group 3, while genotypes with better mean performance regarding chl a, chl b C and CT were clustered into Group 2 as observed in principal component analysis. The identified eight best-performing genotypes could be useful to develop improved nitrogen efficient cultivars. Genome-wide association analysis resulted in 32 marker-trait associations (MTAs) under four treatments. Markers namely DArT-45481731, DArT-17812864, DArT-15670279 and DArT-45482737 were found consistent. Protein-protein interaction networks of loci associated with MTAs were related to fatty acid and branched-chain amino acid metabolism and histone modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safflower grown in the western U.S. is often produced for birdseed mixes. Increasing demand for birdseed products, combined with regional drought, has shrunk western safflower availability. To satisfy the growing demand, processors may look to contracting strategies to incentivize production. We compare expected risk and corresponding certainty equivalents both from the processor and producer viewpoints under various contracting mechanisms and risk aversion levels. Results suggest that contracts containing a combination of lump sum acreage payments and fixed price performance payments would incentivize producer adoption of safflower while maintaining processor profitability and limiting the risk exposure of both parties. [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]

Investigating the effects of priming methods on seedling physiology under osmotic stress conditions is important to understand how priming enhances osmotic stress tolerance in safflower. The mechanisms by which priming achieves this at the physiological level, such as changes in osmoprotectants, antioxidants, and membrane damage, are not well understood. This research aims to fill these knowledge gaps and provide insights that can be used to optimize priming treatments and improve safflower productivity in drought-prone areas.. Seeds were treated with priming including distilled water, folic acid, glutathione, epibrassinolide and chitosan and then subjected to osmotic stresses including no osmotic stress, mild osmotic stress (4 bar) and severe osmotic stress (8 bar) for germination and seedling growth. Severe osmotic stress increased soluble leaf proteins, this increase was observed in all priming treatments except distilled water. Severe osmotic stress increased soluble leaf proteins by an average of 35% in folic acid, chitosan, and epibrassinolide treatments. Chitosan treatment exhibited 172% and 188% more proline under mild and severe stress, respectively, compared to the control. Folic acid treatment showed a 207% increase in catalase under severe stress. Epibrassinolide and glutathione treatments had 201% more superoxide dismutase (SOD) under non-stress conditions. Distilled water treatment had 48.6% more soluble sugars under non-stress, while glutathione and epibrassinolide treatments had 14.5% more under mild stress. Control treatment had the highest malondialdehyde (MDA) amounts under mild and severe stress. Chitosan treatment exhibited a 25% increase in seedling length under severe stress compared to the control. Under non-stress conditions, chitosan treatment had slightly lower seedling length compared to control, while glutathione and epibrassinolide treatments showed the highest lengths. Under mild stress, folic acid, chitosan, and epibrassinolide treatments were superior to control. Under severe stress, distilled water showed a 20% increase, while chitosan treatment showed a 25% increase in seedling length compared to control. Chitosan treatment improved safflower seedling growth under severe osmotic stress through mechanisms including increased osmoprotectant levels, enhanced antioxidant activity, and improved membrane integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the biomechanical properties of safflowers is essential for appropriately designing harvesting machinery and optimizing the harvesting process. Safflower is a flexible crop that lacks a basis for relevant simulation parameters, which causes difficulties in designing harvesting machinery. In this study, a calibration method for safflowers was proposed. First, a discrete element model was established by measuring the intrinsic parameters of a safflower, such as its geometric parameters, density, Poisson's ratio, and modulus of elasticity. Second, the contact and bonding parameters were calibrated using a combination of physical and simulation tests. In the contact parameter tests, the Hertz-Mindlin (no-slip) model was implemented for the stacking angle tests conducted regarding the safflower filament. A regular two-level factorial design was used to determine the important factors and perform the steepest climb test. Moreover, the Box-Behnken design was adopted to obtain the optimal contact parameters. In the bonding parameter tests, the Hertz-Mindlin model with bonding contact was applied for the safflower shear simulation tests; moreover, the optimum bonding parameters were obtained through the central composite design test. The results demonstrated that the relative errors between the simulated and measured stacking angles and maximum shear were 3.19% and 5.29%, respectively. As a result, the safflower simulation parameters were accurately calibrated, providing a reference for appropriately setting the simulation parameters and designing key mechanical components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In two different locations -- the Badush Dam area and the College of Agriculture and Forestry- University of Mosul, Iraq -- a field experiment commenced in the winter of 2021--2022 to investigate how planting distances between lines at 30, 45, and 60 cm affect the growth and productivity characteristics of safflower cultivars (Gilla, Almais, and Urdine). The experiment with a randomized complete block design used two parameters. The outcomes showed significant differences between planting distances in most read-up attributes for both regions. A planting distance of 30 cm gave the most essential impetus for the height of a plant in the Badush Dam region. Moreover, both regions recorded the highest rate for seeds/capitula from a planting distance of 45 cm and the maximum rate for branches/plant, leaf area, 1000-seed weight, seed yield, oil content (%), and oil yield, and capitula/plant only in the college region. In both experimental sites, the varieties substantially impacted every trait under study. The highest values emerged for the Gilla variety for the 1000-seed weight at both sites. The utmost rates showed for the plant height, branches/plant, leaf area, capitula/plant, seeds/capitula, seed yield, and percentage of oil for the Almais variety. Moreover, the oil yield regarding branches/plants in the kidney site, leaf area in the dam site, and seed yield in both sites revealed a significant interaction between the Almais variety and the planting distance of 60 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Production Engineering / Revista Brasileira de Engenharia de Produção is the property of Brazilian Journal of Production Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Plant Production is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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]

ABSTRACT Introduction Traditional Chinese medicinal plant, safflower, shows effective for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. This study is aimed at exploring the potential molecular mechanisms of safflower in the treatment of PAH. Methods Network pharmacology approach and molecular docking were applied to identify the core active compounds, therapeutic targets, and potential signaling pathways of safflower against PAH. Meanwhile, high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was performed to determine the core compounds from safflower. Further, the mechanism of action of safflower on PAH was verified by in vivo and in vitro experiments. Results A total of 15 active compounds and 177 targets were screened from safflower against PAH. Enrichment analysis indicated that these therapeutic targets were mainly involved in multiple key pathways, such as TNF signaling pathway and Th17 cell differentiation. Notably, molecular docking revealed that quercetin (core compound in safflower) displayed highest binding capacity with NLRP3. In vivo, safflower exerted therapeutic effects on PAH by inhibiting right ventricular hypertrophy, inflammatory factor release, and pulmonary vascular remodeling. Mechanistically, it significantly reduced the expression of proangiogenesis‐related factors (MMP‐2, MMP‐9, Collagen 1, and Collagen 3) and NLRP3 inflammasome components (NLRP3, ASC, and Caspase‐1) in PAH model. Similarly, these results were observed in vitro. Besides, we further confirmed that NLRP3 inhibitor had the same therapeutic effect as safflower in vitro. Conclusion Our findings suggest that safflower mitigates PAH primarily by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. This provides novel insights into the potential use of safflower as an alternative therapeutic approach for PAH.

Chemical investigation of Carthamus tinctorius L. flowers resulted in isolation of seven metabolites that were identified as; p-Hydroxybenzoic acid (1), trans hydroxy cinnamic acid (2), kaempferol-6-C-glucoside (3), astragalin (4), cartormin (5), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (6), and kaempferol–3-O-sophoroside (7). Virtual screening of the isolated compounds against human intestinal α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase was carried out. Additionally, the antioxidant activity of the bioactive compounds was assessed. Compounds 1 and 5 exhibited moderate binding affinities to acetylcholinesterase (binding energy −5.33 and −4.18 kcal/mol, respectively), compared to donepezil (-83.33kcal/mol). Compounds 1–7 demonstrated weak affinity to butyrylcholinesterase. Compounds 2 and 4 displayed moderate binding affinity to human intestinal α-glucosidase,compared to Acarbose (reference compound), meanwhile compound 2 exhibited lower affinity. Molecular dynamic studies revealed that compound 4 formed a stable complex with the binding site throughout a 100 ns simulation period. The in-vitro results were consistent with the virtual experimental results, as compounds 1 and 5 showed mild inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (IC50s 150.6 and 168.7 µM, respectively). Compound 4 exhibited moderate α-glucosidase inhibition with an IC50 of 93.71 µM. The bioactive compounds also demonstrated notable antioxidant activity in ABTS [2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)], ORAC (oxygen radical-absorbance capacity), and metal chelation assays, suggesting their potential in improving dementia in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mitigating hyperglycemia.

Safflower is a valuable medicinal plant due to its diverse flavonoids, known as safflower yellow (SY) and safflower red (SR) pigments, which are popular in the fields of medicine, food and natural dyes. The main pharmacological ingredient in safflower is SY pigment, which is a kind of water-soluble flavonoid, such as hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA). In contrast, SR pigment mainly contains carthamin, which is sparingly soluble in water and has a historic reputation as a red colorant. These flavonoids from both SY and SR pigments belong to C-glucosylquinochalcones and their derivatives, which only exist in safflower. Over the past few decades, genetics, molecular biology and multi-omics strategies have been used to study flavonoid biosynthesis in safflower. However, there has not been a comprehensive summary of the application and molecular progress of safflower flavonoid biosynthesis. In this review, we summarize the various applications of safflower in medicine, natural dyes, and food, as well as the molecular regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis. We also propose future research directions on safflower flavonoids. This work aims to provide an objective national and international review of literature on the application and biosynthetic regulation of safflower flavonoids.

Safflower is one of the dominant characteristic economic crops in Xinjiang, which is used in medicinal materials, oil, dye and feed. At present, the harvesting of safflower filaments still relies on manual labor. With the increase of safflower planting area and the shortage of labor force, many fresh safflower filaments have no time to harvest into dry-safflower filaments. Both the natural dried safflower filaments in the field and the dried safflower filaments collected during opening and then dried by air meet the national pharmacopoeia standards in terms of medicinal ingredients. But the safflower filaments gradually become hard and brittle after drying, which makes it difficult to pinch the filaments when picking by hand, and the filaments are fragile and easy to fall. It makes farmers reluctant to collect dry-safflower filaments, resulting in serious waste. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a dry-safflower harvester. At present, there have been some related research reports on the mechanical harvesting of dry-safflower, all of which are concept machines or ideas for brush-roller picking dry-safflower. However, there are no relevant reports on the theoretical and practical research on how to separate the safflower filaments from the fruit ball and improve the picking rate without damaging the fruit ball. The vertical brush-roller harvester is designed for dry-safflower filaments in dry land, which are generally planted in arid and barren land. Safflower is a top crop, which has the characteristics of one safflower in one branch, different opening time of filaments, and different spatial distribution of fruit balls. The safflower plants are relatively short, and one plant grows 3-7 fruit balls. When safflower filaments bloom from the neck of the fruit ball, safflower seeds are not yet mature. Therefore, when harvesting safflower filaments, it is necessary not to destroy the fruit balls that wrap the immature seeds and the branches that provide nutrients, but only to harvest the filaments threads located at the top of the fruit balls. Aiming at the problems such as low efficiency, high drop rate and no mechanization, a vertical brush-roller harvester was designed based on the physical characteristics and planting patterns of safflower. Firstly, the brush wires arrangement scheme was analyzed theoretically in combination with the structure of the machine, and it was determined that the brush wires arrangement scheme was helix, the helix angle was 30°, the rotation direction was right rotation. Secondly, the mechanical analysis of picking dry-safflower filaments by brush-roller was carried out, in order to find that the key force of the safflower filaments from the fruit balls was the normal force FN. Furthermore, Hertz elastic contact theory was used to analyze the contact mechanics of normal force FN, and the contact mechanics model of brush wires and fruit balls was established, which clarified the picking principle and the main factors affecting the picking quality, such as the material, diameter, length of the brush wires and the rotational speed of the brush-roller. Finally, the structural parameter design and kinematic analysis of the vertical brush-roller were carried out, and the main parameters of the picking device were obtained as follows: the length of the brush-roller was 300 mm, the diameter of the brush-roller was 100 mm, the material of the brush wires was polyamide 610 (PA-610), the length of the brush wires was 30 mm, the rotational speed of the brush-roller was 360 r/min, and the diameter of the brush wires was 0.3 mm. The clearance between the vertical brush-roller and the grid rack was determined to be 12 mm through the plant passing rate test. The field picking test showed that the picking rate and fruit damage rate of the vertical brush-roller harvester were 87.04% and 4.19%, respectively. The picking efficiency of harvester was 7.71-10.92 times that of manual picking. The research results can provide reference for the design and optimization of brush-roller harvester and dry-safflower harvester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic (As) is a hazardous metalloid, and mycorrhizal inoculation and vermicompost amendment can influence As bioremediation. However, the studies concerning the sole and joint effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and vermicompost on the phytoremediation efficacy are limited. In the present study at first, the impact of various levels of vermicompost (0, 2, 4, and 8% w/w) was investigated on As mobility in soil and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) plants grown in soils of spiked with 0, 40, and 80 mg kg−1 As. Results revealed that with increasing dose of vermicompost, bioavailable As in soil decreased which resulted in a lower bioaccumulation factor and translocation factor (TF) and led to a significant increase of tolerance index (TI) and total chlorophyll content in plants. The highest effect on TI and total As accumulation per plant was obtained in the dosage of 8% vermicompost. Therefore, in the second experiment, the sole and joint effects of 8% vermicompost and inoculation with Rhizophagus intraradices were assessed on the tolerance and accumulation of As in safflower. The addition of vermicompost aggravated mycorrhizal colonization but did not significantly influence mycorrhizal dependency under As stress. The joint effects of AMF and vermicompost improved the dry weight of roots and shoots, increased P concentration and P:As ratio in shoots, reduced malondialdehyde content, and moderated ascorbate peroxidase activity in leaves of As-stressed plants. Interestingly, co-application of AMF and vermicompost more than their sole usage decreased As concentration in shoots and TF and more strongly increased total As accumulation per plant. These findings suggest that mycorrhizal inoculation and vermicompost have a synergistic effect on As tolerance and phytostabilization efficacy of safflower plants, and their combined application may be a new option to remediate As-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Carthamus tinctorius L., a traditional herbal medicine used for atherosclerosis (AS), lacks a clear understanding of its therapeutic mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Carthamus tinctorius L.-derived nanovesicles (CDNVs) in AS treatment. Methods: CDNVs were isolated and characterized using improved isolation methods. Transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and protein analysis confirmed their morphology, size, and protein composition. Small RNA sequencing was performed to identify the miRNA profile of CDNVs, and bioinformatics analysis was used to determine their potential biological roles. In vivo biodistribution and toxicity studies were conducted in mice to assess the stability and safety of orally administered CDNVs. The anti-atherosclerotic effects of CDNVs were evaluated in ApoE-/- mice through plaque burden analysis. The protective effects of CDNVs on ox-LDL-treated endothelial cells were assessed through proliferation, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species activation, and monocyte adhesion assays. miRNA and mRNA sequencing of CDNV-treated endothelial cells were performed to explore their regulatory effects and potential target genes. Results: CDNVs were successfully isolated and purified from Carthamus tinctorius L. tissue lysates. They exhibited a saucer-shaped or cup-shaped morphology, with an average particle size of 142.6 ± 0.7 nm, and expressed EV markers CD63 and TSG101. CDNVs contained proteins, small RNAs, and metabolites, including the therapeutic compound HSYA. Small RNA sequencing identified 95 miRNAs, with 10 common miRNAs accounting for 72.63% of the total miRNAs. These miRNAs targeted genes involved in cell adhesion, apoptosis, and cell proliferation, suggesting their relevance in cardiovascular disease. Orally administered CDNVs were stable in the gastrointestinal tract, absorbed into the bloodstream, and accumulated in the liver, lungs, heart, and aorta. They significantly reduced the burden of atherosclerotic plaques in ApoE-/- mice and exhibited superior effects compared to HSYA. In vitro studies demonstrated that CDNVs were taken up by HUVECs, promoted proliferation, attenuated ox-LDL-induced apoptosis and ROS activation, and reduced monocyte adhesion. CDNV treatment resulted in significant changes in miRNA and mRNA expression profiles of HUVECs, with enrichment in inflammation-related genes. CXCL12 was identified as a potential direct target of miR166a-3p. Conclusion: CDNVs isolated from Carthamus tinctorius L. tissue lysates represent a promising oral therapeutic option for cardiovascular diseases. The delivery of miRNAs by CDNVs regulates inflammation-related genes, including CXCL12, in HUVECs, suggesting their potential role in modulating endothelial inflammation. These findings provide valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of CDNVs and their miRNAs in cardiovascular disease. [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]