{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T04:58:27Z","timestamp":1790744307291,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790553600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"ANCSI"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Currently, documentation in the scientific literature regarding the specific phytochemical variations among regionally adapted spiny and spineless safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) germplasm remains limited. This study evaluated the biochemical profiles of petals from four Romanian local populations representing spiny (var. typicus) and spineless (var. inermis) phenotypes. Screening via spectrophotometric methods and HPLC-DAD targeted total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), individual phenolic compounds, fat-soluble vitamins, total dye yield, and antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP). The spineless population R4-CL recorded the highest levels of TPC (25.26 \u00b1 0.29 mg GAE g\u22121 d.w.), natural dye yield (5.56%), and vitamin E (8.45 \u00b1 0.19 mg 100 g\u22121 d.w.) using 100% ethanol extraction. Chlorogenic and caffeic acids emerged as the primary phenolic acids, whereas vitamin K1 was not detected. Spiny genotypes exhibited superior DPPH scavenging efficiency, whereas FRAP values remained statistically homogeneous. These findings demonstrate that the evaluated spineless local lines possess promising phytochemical profiles while offering agronomic benefits for handling. Although limited to a single growing season and a single location, this study provides useful preliminary baseline data on the localized chemical traits of these Romanian landraces.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants15192959","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T12:46:29Z","timestamp":1790599589000},"page":"2959","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Phytochemical Variations in Spiny and Spineless Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Phenotypes"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3171-1449","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"C\u0103t\u0103lina","family":"Tudora","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Testing Department, National Institute of Research-Development for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry-INMA, 6, Ion Ionescu de la Brad Avenue, 013813 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-3312-8233","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adriana-Teodora","family":"Muscalu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Testing Department, National Institute of Research-Development for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry-INMA, 6, Ion Ionescu de la Brad Avenue, 013813 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valentin-Nicolae","family":"Vl\u0103du\u021b","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Testing Department, National Institute of Research-Development for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry-INMA, 6, Ion Ionescu de la Brad Avenue, 013813 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5704-7286","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana-Cristina","family":"F\u0103tu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research-Development Institute for Plant Protection-ICDPP Bucharest, 8, Ion Ionescu de la Brad Blvd, District 1, 013813 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0431-1557","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Danela","family":"Murariu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Banca de Resurse Genetice Vegetale \u201cMihai Cristea\u201d, 17, 1 Mai Avenue, 720224 Suceava, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6617-9811","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Florentina","family":"Gatea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research-Development Institute for Plant Protection-ICDPP Bucharest, 8, Ion Ionescu de la Brad Blvd, District 1, 013813 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"45","article-title":"Research on alternative agricultural crops in the organic agricultural production system","volume":"3","author":"Toader","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Agric. 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