Effects of Herbal Safflower Oil on Longevity and Oxidative Stress

Abstract

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants. Safflower oil, separated from its seeds, has superior properties than many vegetable oils. In this study, it was aimed to determine the toxic, antitoxic or antioxidant effects of safflower oil. For this purpose, 72±4-hour old larvae of the Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) model organism Oregon R wild strain were used. According to the preliminary studies, application doses were determined as 0.3125%; 0.625%; 1.25%, and 2.5%. In addition, distilled water, ascorbic acid, and H2O2 control groups were formed and the toxic or antitoxic effects of using them separately or together on the larvae were investigated. In addition, the lifespan of individuals that matured from larvae were studied and antioxidant parameters (TAS/TOS/OSI) were examined in male individuals fed at the doses with the best results. All experimental sets were repeated three times. As a result, it was determined that Safflower oil does not cause any toxic effect on the larvae at the concentrations used; on the contrary, when used with H2O2, it has a reduced toxic effect. As a result of the longevity studies of safflower oil, it was observed that the longest average life was in the %1.25 Safflower Oil + H2O2 application group with 65±1.09 days. It was determined from the data obtained from antioxidant studies that the antioxidant capacity of safflower oil was high, but this result was not statistically significant compared to the control group Ascorbic acid (p>0.05).