Characteristic of the ethanol extract of Carthamus tinctorius L. flowers and its antioxidant activity

Safflower plant (Carthamus tinctorius L.) has been reported to be effective for treating people with measles, hypertension, stomach ache, malaria and cholesterol issues. This study aims to assess specific and non-specific parameters of characteristics for the ethanol extract of C. tinctorius L. flowers and its antioxidant properties. The specific parameters include the extract’s organoleptic properties, while the non-specific parameters include the drying shrinkage, microbial contamination content, ash content, as well as the extract’s solubility in water and ethanol according to Materia Medica Indonesia and Pharmacopeia Herbal Indonesia. An antioxidant activity assay was performed using the DPPH method. According to the results, the deep red, viscous organoleptic extract had a distinctive odor, as well as an astringent or chelate taste, and an Rf value of 0.79. Furthermore, the extract contained 0.12% of water-soluble compounds, 0.22% ethanol-soluble compounds, and several phytochemical groups, including flavonoids, saponins, triterpenoids, tannins, quinones, and steroids. According to the non-specific parameters, the extracts demonstrated 1.02%, 0.2237%, 0.96%, 0.23%, and 0.91% for weight, acid-insoluble ash content, dry shrinkage, ash content, and water content, respectively. Meanwhile, the microbial contaminant load was < 1.0 × 10^-1 colony/mL, alongside < 1.0 × 10^-1 colony/mL of mold/yeast. The C. tinctorius L. ethanol extract was observed to show significant antioxidant activities, evidenced by an IC₅₀ which measured 2.511ppm, based on DPPH analysis. A similar outcome was also reported for the ethanol flower extract, which was further determined to fulfil both non-specific and specific standardization parameters.