Evaluation of Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition in Seeds of Different Genotypes of Safflower(Carthamus tinctorius L

Evaluation of four safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) genotypes for oil content and fatty acid composition showed that oil content varied from 22.16 to 34.39% and the highest seed oil content was obtained from Isfahan14 genotype (34.39%, respectively). Among those fatty acids were detected, linoleic acid (75.81- 77.86%) was the predominant fatty acid followed by oleic (12.57–13.75%), palmitic (6.09–7.07%) and stearic (2.17–2.62%) acids while trace amounts of other fatty acids were presented and the values of them did not exceed 0.81%. The oil content and fatty acid composition of oil among the genotypes were significantly different (P < 0.01), indicating that synthesis of them is influenced by genotype and the lipids present in the safflower are rich in premium grade high polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, linoleic acid which makes the oil nutritionally and therapeutically valuable for human consumption