S. Karami; M.R. Sabzalian; M. Rahimmalek; Gh. Saeidi; L. Khodaee
Abstract
In order to investigate the possible influence of seasonal variation on the percentage of seed oil and total phenolic content in seeds and leaf of safflower, three populations (19 accessions) including 6 cultivars of cultivated species (Carthamus tinctorius), 4 genotypes of wild species (C. oxyacanthus) ...
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In order to investigate the possible influence of seasonal variation on the percentage of seed oil and total phenolic content in seeds and leaf of safflower, three populations (19 accessions) including 6 cultivars of cultivated species (Carthamus tinctorius), 4 genotypes of wild species (C. oxyacanthus) and 9 genotypes of F5 generation derived from inter-specific cross (C. tinctorius× C. oxyacanthus) in two sowing dates, were evaluated. The results showed the effect of planting dates was significant on the percentage of seed oil and total phenolic content of seeds (p<0.01), except for leaf phenolic content. The percentage of seed oil and total phenolic content of seeds was higher in summer and spring planting dates, respectively. Also, in both planting dates, populations of cultivated and wild species had higher and lower percentage of seed oil, respectively. Whereas, percentage of seed oil in the populations derived from inter-specific cross was intermediate between cultivated and wild species, some genotypes in these populations had high percentage of seed oil and were in the range of percentage of seed oil observed for cultivated genotypes. Also, the total phenolic content of seeds in the genotypes with colored seed coat (black-seeded genotypes derived from the cross and wild genotypes) was higher comparing with white seed coat genotypes (cultivars and white-seeded genotypes derived from interspecific cross), then it seems that not only planting dates but also seed coat and genetic purity of loci controlling seed coat color may affect total phenolic content of seeds. In general, results of this experiment indicated that there is possibility of improving seed oil percentage and total phenolic content of seeds as the two factors with medicinal properties in Carthamus spp. using variation in planting dates and also inter-specific crosses. Furthermore, safflowerleaf is a rich source in total phenolics in comparison with seed and can be used in pharmaceutical industries.