Safflower petal composition: impact of sowing time and plant density on proximate, antioxidants, and colorants

The nutritional value was positively associated with the nutraceutical value. Greater contents in phenols, flavonoids, and carthamidin, with minor changes in the proximate composition of petals, can be achieved with sowings in late fall-early winter. Harvest at late flowering (~90% flowers open on lateral shoots) resulted in greater yields and carthamin content but lower petal quality, suggesting that the choice of the harvest time of petals strictly depends on the specific trait desired.