Safflower extract
Safflower, Safflor,
Bastard saffron,
carthamus

Pharmaceutical name:         Flos Carthami Tinctorii

2.Latin botanical name:

  1). Carthamus tinctorius L.
  2). Crocus sativus L. (zang hong hua or fan hong hua )

3.Common Name:       Safflower, Safflor,       Bastard saffron,     carthamus.

4.Properties (characteristics):             acrid, warm.

5.Channels (meridians) entered: liver, heart.

6.Actions & Indications:

  1). Invigorates circulation, breaks up blood stasis condition, and promotes menstruation: rheumatoid arthritis, injuries from impact, swollen boils, irregular menses, pain in stopping of menses, pain from blood stasis after birth. Small amount can invigorate circulation and large amount can get rid of blood clots. It is an important herb in blood stasis therapy and often is prescribed with tao ren. To invigorate circulation, it is often used with dang gui, chuan xiong, shao yao. to rid of blood stasis, it is used with sanleng, e zhu, and da huang .

  2). measles with blood stasis, color not lively red: use hong hua, dang gui , zi cao, da qing ye

  3). angina of coronary diseases: use hong hua, dan shen, chuan xiong, chi shao.  

  4). thromboangitis obliterans: use hong hua, dang gui , tao ren , chi shao, ru xiang

  5). for treatment of enlargement of the liver and spleen.

  6).For physical injuries with blood stasis and pain: broken bones, dislocated joints, sprains, and impact.

7.Medical function:

  1). Cardio-vascular system
It can mildly stimulate the heart, lowers the resistance of coronary arteries, improves circulation and provides the amount of blood flow to the heart muscle and provides nutrition to the heart muscles. Large amount has an inhibitory effect.
  2). Effect on platelets
It can prevent the coagulation of the platelets thus inhibits the formation of thrombosis.
  3). Effect on uterus
Small amount can increase the rhythmic contraction of the pregnant uterus. Large amount can cause constriction and spasm

.
  4). Provides protection for the brain in case of oxygen deprivation. Studies show that it can increase the treshold of rat in oxygen deprivation
  5). Lower lipids
  6). anti-bacterial, anti-fungal,
  7). analgesic,
  8). diuretic,
  9). immune stimulant,
  10). anti-inflammatory
  11). anti-spasmodic,
  12). emmenagogue (induce menses flow), 
  13). diaphoretic (induce perspiration), 
  14). induce interferon