Evaluation of Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition in Seeds of Different Genotypes of Safflower

Evaluation of four safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) genotypes for oil content and fatty acidcomposition showed that oil content varied from 22.16 to 34.39% and the highest seed oilcontent was obtained from Isfahan14 genotype (34.39%, respectively). Among those fatty acidswere 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 ofother fatty acids were presented and the values of them did not exceed 0.81%. The oil contentand 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 thesafflower are rich in premium grade high polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, linoleic acidwhich makes the oil nutritionally and therapeutically valuable for human consumption.