Preparation of High Quality Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Seed Extract by High-Pressure Extraction Process

Safflower seed extract was prepared by a high-pressure extraction technology and its quality characteristics were compared to that of other conventional extraction techniques, such ultrasonic and reflux extractions. Safflower seeds were extracted with 80% aqueous ethanol by three above extraction methods, and further fractionated with Diaion HP-20 column chromatography to obtain a partially purified safflower seed extract (PPSSE). Among the three extraction techniques examined, the reflux extraction showed the higher yields of EtOH extract and PPE than the ultrasonic and high-pressure extractions. Levels of most phenolic compounds in the EtOH extract of safflower seed are higher in reflux and ultrasonic extractions than the high pressure extraction, but levels of two serotonin aglycones, N-(p-coumaroyl)serotonin (CS) and N-feruloylserotonin (FS), in PPSSE were higher in the high pressure extraction than the reflux and ultrasonic extractions. In addition, color values (L and a) of the PPSSE were higher in the high-pressure extraction than the reflux and ultrasonic extractions, although there were no significant differences in pH and UV maxima absorption spectra among three extraction techniques. These results indicate that the high-pressure extraction technology is a simple and effective extraction for preparation of a high quality of safflower seed extract containing CS and FS with anti-wrinkle activity.