Characterization of Aroma-Active Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Cold-Pressed Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) Seed Oils from cvs. Balci and Dincer

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) is an annual plant in the Compositae family and its seeds provide highly valuable edible oil that has been used since ancient times. In the present study, the aroma profile, aroma-active compounds (AACs), antioxidant activities (AA), and total phenolic contents (TPCs) of the cold-pressed safflower oils obtained from the seeds of two common Turkish varieties, Balci and Dincer, were investigated and compared. The samples from the Balci variety demonstrated greater TPC and AA values compared to the samples from Dincer variety. The oil samples from both varieties exhibited similar aroma profiles; however, significant quantitative differences were observed. The samples from the Balci variety (67,509.0 µg/kg) had higher concentrations of aroma compounds compared to the Dincer variety (32,221.9 µg/kg). A total of 28 volatiles, including terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, and one compound from each of the carboxylic acid, furan, and ketone, groups were detected in the samples from both varieties. Terpenes were the most abundant aroma group in the samples from both varieties, followed by alcohols. In the oil samples from both varieties, the main AACs were 2,3-butanediol (creamy), (E)-β-caryophyllene (pungent, salted cheese), and an unidentified compound (green, leafy), all exhibiting high flavor dilution (FD) values. The AACs of the cold-pressed safflower seed oils were identified for the first time in the current study.