Carthami flos

Flores Carthami, flowers of the safflower.

Carthami flos, is the naturopathically used extract from the flowers of the plant. The extract contains the red coloring carthamine (a benzoquinone) and the yellow dye carthamidine.

Tea infusions from the petals are used medicinally (therapeutic principle in Chinese medicine, Guo YF et al. 2014)). They have a blood circulation-promoting effect. Anti-inflammatory effects have been demonstrated in animal experiments (Kim J et al. 2014).

Both dyes are also used in cosmetics and as food colorants, e.g. in fruit gums.

1. Guo YF et al. (2014) Analysis on composition regularity of carthami-flos-containing traditional Chinese medicines. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 39:2144-2148.
2. Kim J et al. (2014) Carthami Flos suppresses neutrophilic lung inflammation in mice, for which nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-1 is required. Phytomedicine 21:470-478.