Carthami flos: a review of its ethnopharmacology, pharmacology and clinical applications

ABSTRACTCarthami flos, the dried floret of Carthamus tinctorius L., Asteraceae (safflower), has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a broad range of ailments, such as coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, gynecologic disease, stroke, and hypertension. However, although several studies on Carthami flos have been done consecutively, the results are usually scattered across various documents. This review aims to provide up-to-date information on the traditional uses, pharmacology, clinical applications, and toxicology of Carthami flos in China and thereby to provide a bas...