Abstract
The effect of the antioxidative activity of a methanol extract of safflower in rats was investigated using a low vitamin E diet. This confirmed that the liver MDA value and arteriosclerotic index were decreased by the extract. We then investigated which types of the safflower components were effective. The fresh petals were extracted with methanol and the methanol extract (M) was then divided into AcOEt- (A) and H2O-soluble fractions. The water-soluble fraction was separated by polyacrylamide column chromatography into three fractions, B, C, and D. The main components of B, C and D are proteins and carbohydrates, flavonoid glycosides, and the yellow dye safflower yellow, respectively. Carthamin (E), the red dye component of safflower, was prepared independently from fermented safflower petals. Wistar rats 5 weeks of age were fed for four weeks on a low vitamin E diet, and the fractions from the methanol extract were administered orally every day. It was confirmed that the liver and serum MDA values were decreased by fractions A and B, and that the concentration of HDL-cholesterol was increased by fractions D and E. The present results confirm that safflower petals contain a component that reduces peroxylipid and lipid metabolism.
