Safflower: importance, use and economical exploitation

Abstract

The safflower is an ornamental, medicinal, oleaginous, annual and herbaceous plant, and it is cultivated in more than 60 countries. In Brazil, it presents great edaphoclimatic adaptations for the different regions of the country. With wide economic exploitation, it encompasses: the floricultural sector with the floral stems in a fresh and dry form; the animal feeding with grazing, silage and seed cake; the food, pharmaceutical and oil industries with the use of oil according to its refine for the emulsification in bakery, elaboration of medicine and biodiesel; besides the use of coloring that comes from the dried petals in culinary, cosmetics and in fabrics, among other aptitudes of use. Thus, the present work had as objective to perform a national and international review of literature about the importance, use and economic exploitation of safflower.