Acyl-CoA:O-lysophospholipid acyltransferase activity was measured in extracts of developing safflower (Carthamus tinctorius var. UC-1) seeds. Acyltransferase activity was present in all subcellular fractions. The microsomal acyltransferase activity was solubilized with either 30 mm-n-octylglucoside, 1% deoxycholate, or 100 mum lysophosphatidylcholine. The pH optimum of the lysophosphatidylcholi...

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) is an effective ingredient of the Chinese herb Carthamus tinctorius L, which has high water solubility and low oral bioavailability. This research aims to develop a hydrophobic nanoparticle that can enhance the oral absorption of HSYA. Transmission electron microscopy and freeze-fracture replication transmission election microscopy showed that the HSYA nanoparticl...

In order to develop a new skin whitening agent, safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds were evaluated for melanogenesis inhibitory activity and its active principles were identified following activity-guided isolation. The 80% aqueous methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction from safflower seeds showed a significant inhibition for mushroom tyrosinase. Three active compounds, N-feruloylser...

Five kinds of traditional flower Chinese medicine powders (TFCMD) were identified using tuneable liquid spectral imaging instrument, to discuss the application range and advantages of spectral imaging technology in Chinese medicine identification and analysis field. The testing system is the liquid crystal multispectral imaging system designed by ourselves. All the tests are standard samples su...

In the present study we investigated the comparative genotoxic potential of laser rays and gamma rays on somatic and gametic cells of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). Mutagenic parameters like mitotic and meiotic consequences were accessed from the plants that showed a linear relationship between dose absorbed and chromosomal anomalies. A wide spectrum of chromosomal aberrations was encount...

Glutamate application is an established method of inducing PC12 cell injury. PC12 cells were cultured with serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue decoction consisting of moschus, Carthamus tinctorius, Rhizoma chuanxiong, Semen pruni persicae, and Radix Paeoniae Rubra. After 24 hours of co-cultivation, glutamate (12.5 mM) was added to the culture medium. We found that serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue de...