A Method for Preparation of Soluble Carthamin, Red Pigment from Safflower, Using Glycosyl Hesperidin

Abstract

Carthamin, the red pigment from Carthamus tictorius L. (safflower) is almost water-insoluble, so the compounds which solubilized it were screened from polysaccharides, flavonoids, and so on. When glycosyl hesperidin, which had the highest effect, was added to carthamin at the ratio of carthamin/glycosyl hesperidin=1/5 at pH 5.0, the content of soluble carthamin was about 14 times greater than that without its addition. The color tone of solubilized carthamin became more reddish, while the original one was yellowish red at pH 5.0 according to the Hunter Lab diagram system. On the basis of these results, carthamin solution could be prepared more effectively from the petals of safflower using glycosyl hesperidin instead of cellulose which is now used industrially.