Safflower Extract Powder

Safflower Extract Powder is a botanical ingredient produced from the dried flowers of Carthamus tinctorius L., a member of the Asteraceae family. The flower contains characteristic quinochalcone C-glycosides and related flavonoids, with Hydroxysafflor Yellow A (HSYA) serving as an important chemical marker for safflower flower identity and standardized extract evaluation.

The 10:1 extract ratio is the primary commercial specification for general safflower flower extract. Marker-standardized grades use HSYA as a defined analytical target, while Safflower Yellow represents a separate pigment-focused ingredient category purchased according to color and pigment specifications.

SKU: BOT-BEX-0546 Categories: Botanical Extracts, Flower Extracts Tags: Antioxidant Support, Dietary Supplements, Flavonoids, Polyphenols, Safflower

Ingredient Profile & Common Uses

The raw material for this ingredient is the dried flower or corolla of Carthamus tinctorius, rather than the oil-bearing seed. This distinguishes safflower flower extract from safflower seed oil, which is a separate lipid ingredient. It should also not be confused with saffron extract from Crocus sativus, a different botanical characterized by crocin-type carotenoids and safranal.

Commercial safflower flower extracts are supplied as ratio extracts and marker-standardized materials. The 10:1 grade expresses the relationship between botanical raw material and finished extract rather than the concentration of an individual compound. Standardized grades instead quantify a defined marker such as HSYA by chromatographic analysis. Extract ratio and marker assay therefore represent different specification systems and should not be interpreted as equivalent measures of extract strength.

The concentrated flower extract is used in botanical supplements, traditional herbal formulations, functional powder systems, and selected cosmetic applications. Its naturally occurring yellow-to-orange constituents can influence the color of finished formulations, while the dry powder format allows integration into both single-ingredient and multi-botanical systems. Formulators should consider visual impact, dispersibility, and compatibility with the intended processing environment.

Application Areas

Botanical Supplements

Suitable for capsules, tablets, sachets, and botanical powder blends where a concentrated Carthamus tinctorius flower ingredient is preferred over whole flower powder or safflower seed oil.

Traditional Botanical Formulations

Used in multi-ingredient botanical systems built around dried safflower flower, where extract format provides a more concentrated ingredient with lower formulation volume than unextracted botanical material.

Functional Powder Blends

The dry extract format can be incorporated into powdered nutrition and functional food systems. Development work should consider powder distribution, inherent color contribution, and compatibility with other botanical ingredients.

Cosmetic Formulations

Safflower flower extract can also be incorporated into selected cosmetic and personal-care systems where botanical identity, dispersibility, color contribution, and processing compatibility are relevant formulation factors.

Typical Specifications

Parameter	Specification
Product Name	Safflower Extract Powder
Botanical Name	Carthamus tinctorius L.
Botanical Family	Asteraceae
Common Name	Safflower · Hong Hua
Plant Part	Dried Flower / Corolla
Ingredient Type	Botanical Flower Extract
Product Form	Powder
Extract Ratio	10:1
Characteristic Marker	Hydroxysafflor Yellow A (HSYA)
Marker Chemical Class	Quinochalcone C-glycoside
HSYA Synonym	Safflomin A
HSYA CAS Number	78281-02-4
HSYA Molecular Formula	C27H32O16
HSYA Molecular Weight	612.5 g/mol
Analytical Method for Standardized Grade	HPLC

Key Constituents & Extract Profile

Safflower flower has a distinctive pigment and flavonoid profile characterized by quinochalcone C-glycosides. Hydroxysafflor Yellow A, also known as Safflomin A, is one of the principal characteristic constituents associated with the flower and provides a useful chromatographic marker for standardized materials.

Other characteristic pigments include Safflomin B, also referred to as Safflor Yellow B, together with carthamin, which contributes to the red pigment fraction historically associated with safflower. This chemical profile helps differentiate flower-derived safflower ingredients from safflower seed products and unrelated saffron-derived carotenoids.

For standardized extracts, marker analysis provides a defined chemical target that can support identity and compositional evaluation. Marker assay should remain distinct from total pigment measurements or color-strength specifications used for Safflower Yellow ingredients, because these products are purchased and evaluated according to different analytical objectives.

Technical & Quality Considerations

Botanical authentication should establish both Carthamus tinctorius identity and use of the correct flower material. This is particularly important because safflower terminology can overlap with seed oil, pigment ingredients, and unrelated saffron products. For standardized materials, HPLC analysis provides a more specific way to evaluate the characteristic marker profile and support consistency between production lots.

HSYA is a highly polar, hydrophilic constituent of the yellow pigment fraction. Published studies indicate that the isolated compound is sensitive to prolonged light exposure, elevated temperature, and alkaline conditions. These characteristics are most relevant to standardized or pigment-rich materials and should not be interpreted as quantitative solubility or stability specifications for the complete multi-component botanical extract.

During dry-product scale-up, R&D should evaluate blend uniformity, powder flow, and color distribution. Liquid or semi-liquid systems require additional evaluation of wetting, dispersion, pH, thermal processing, and visual stability. Where marker retention is an important formulation objective, excessive heat, prolonged light exposure, and strongly alkaline processing conditions should be minimized during product development.

Packaging & Commercial Supply

Essencefield supports product evaluation, formulation trials, commercial orders, and ongoing ingredient supply. Packaging, storage, and shipping arrangements are determined by product characteristics, order quantity, stability requirements, and destination-market needs.

Supply Item	General Information
Sample	Available upon request for formulation, testing, and supplier evaluation
Order Quantities	100 g · 1 kg · 5 kg · 25 kg · 100 kg · 500 kg · Bulk
Sample Lead Time	Typically 5–7 days after sample confirmation
Production Lead Time	Typically 15–30 days after order and specification confirmation
Packaging	Suitable protective inner packaging with bags, cartons, drums, or other appropriate outer packaging
Storage	Store in tightly sealed, suitable protective packaging in a cool, dry environment. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Specific storage conditions follow the approved product specification.
Documentation	COA · Product Specification · TDS · SDS · Applicable declarations (as applicable)

Final order quantities, lead times, packaging, documentation, and shipping arrangements are confirmed according to the selected product and commercial requirements.