Investigation of physicochemical properties of oil and seed composition in safflower genotypes for determination the best conditions inorder to producing shortening Safoura Ahmadzadeh Sf_ahmadzadeh@yahoo.com submitted on January 27, 2009 Department of Food Science and Technology Isfahan University of Technology,, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran degree:deh@yahoo.com M.Sc Language: Farsi 1- M. Kadivar, Assoc. Prof (Supervisor), kadivar@cc.iut.ac.ir 2- G. Saeidi. Prof. (Supervisor), saeidi@cc.iut.ac.ir The world production of safflower ( carthamus tinctorius L. ) increased sharply in the early 1960s as a result of the increased use of the highly unsaturated oil as an edible, rather than an industrial oil. The seeds are primarily grown for their oil. Poly unsaturated vegetable oils have not been satisfactory as frying oils because of high oxidative instability resulting from the chemical structure of the linoleic and linolenic acids. Safflower oil is comprised primarily of palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids, with the vast majority comprised of oleic and linoleic acids. Two different types of oil can be produced, depending on the genetics of the particular safflower line. One type is high in linoleic acid and the other is high in oleic acid. A third experimental type of safflower oil contains about equal amounts of oleic and linoleic acids. Key Words Safflower genotypes, oil characterization, enzymatic interesterification, shortening
