carthamus tinctorius flower bud

Carthamus tinctorius flower bud refers to the dried flowers of the Carthamus tinctorius plant (commonly known as safflower). Traditionally used in herbal medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is not an approved pharmaceutical drug but is found in some over-the-counter products. The extract and preparations from the flower have demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. They have been investigated for potential use in cardiovascular conditions (such as enhancing peripheral blood flow and inhibiting platelet aggregation), gynecological disorders (including menstrual cramps and post-partum hemorrhage), diabetes management, obesity control, pruritus relief, reproductive health support, hair growth promotion, lung injury attenuation, rheumatism treatment and sciatica relief. The main active constituents include flavonoids such as carthamidin and hydroxysafflor yellow A. Mechanistically it may act through antioxidant effects or modulation of blood flow; however its precise molecular targets are not well defined[1][2][5][6][8].

Other names

safflowerCarthami flosAmerican saffronBastard saffronDyer's saffronFalse saffronGami-HonghwainHong huaZafran