Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

Objectives: The present investigation was undertaken to explore safflower florets for extraction and identification of colorants (yellow and red) that can be used in different food products. Methods/Analysis: The safflower yellow colour was extracted by suspending it in distill water and the red colour with sodium carbonate solution. The extracted safflower yellow and red colour carthamin pigments were spectrophotometrically characterized and further identified by using thin layer chromatography by measuring Rf values. Moreover the quantitative estimation of these valuable pigments was also performed. Findings: The varieties grown in parbhani region (i.e. spiny and non spiny) exists potential for safflower yellow and carthamin, as these pigments are valuable as food dyes. Novelty of the study: :In the future, natural food dyes will continue to widely acceptable in food products due to their non–allergic and non-carcinogenic properties. Hence it was thought worthwhile to explore these florets for extraction of colorants that can be used in different food products. In this study extraction and identification of the important pigments from safflower florets were under taken. 
Keywords: Carthamin, Nonspiny, Petals, Safflower, Spiny