Safflower petal extract added to yogurt and its effects
What it found
In lab tests, yogurt with safflower petal extract had more polyphenols and flavonoids, and the hot water extract version inhibited the enzymes alpha-glucosidase and lipase more than the ethanol extract version.
The extract also reduced reactive oxygen species in human colon cells grown in the lab.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Reactive oxygen species in cells
Both ethanol and hot water extract yogurts reduced reactive oxygen species production in lab-grown human colon cells that were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide.
Other findings
Antioxidant activity
The hot water extract yogurt had higher DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity than the ethanol extract yogurt. The ABTS activity was not detected in the ethanol extract yogurt.
Polyphenols and flavonoids
Total polyphenol and flavonoid levels were higher in yogurt with hot water extract than with ethanol extract. The highest levels were in yogurt with 1.0% hot water extract.
Enzyme inhibition
The hot water extract yogurt inhibited alpha-glucosidase activity in a dose-dependent manner and also inhibited pancreatic lipase activity, with the highest lipase inhibition at 0.5%. The ethanol extract yogurt had much lower enzyme inhibition, except for one concentration.
Yogurt characteristics
The number of live lactic acid bacteria in safflower yogurt was similar to plain yogurt and above the Korea Food Standard. The pH was 4.26 to 4.31, similar to plain yogurt. Viscosity was slightly lower than plain yogurt.
What the authors conclude
“Overall, these results suggest that SP extract possesses antioxidant activities and that it can downregulate α-glucosidase and lipase activities.”
Also in their conclusions
- They suggest that safflower petal extract has antioxidant activities and can downregulate alpha-glucosidase and lipase activities.
- They say the extract may have potential benefits as a natural food additive for making functional yogurt.
- They call for further animal studies to confirm the action mechanisms and effects in the body.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see if safflower petal extract could be used as a natural additive to make yogurt with better health benefits, since safflower is used in traditional medicine and contains many compounds.
They made yogurt with 0% to 1.0% safflower petal extract prepared with either ethanol or hot water, fermented it for 6 hours, and tested its antioxidant activity, polyphenol and flavonoid levels, and ability to inhibit alpha-glucosidase and lipase enzymes. They also tested the yogurt extracts on human colon cancer cells (HT-29) in the lab to see if they reduced reactive oxygen species.
What it can’t tell you
- These are lab tests and cell studies. They cannot show what happens in people who eat the yogurt.
- The enzyme tests were done in test tubes, not in the human body, so the effects on blood sugar or fat digestion in people are not known.
- The paper did not test the yogurt in animals or people, so it cannot show whether it helps manage weight or blood glucose.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Konkuk University, Korea
The paper
- Title
- Antioxidant Properties and Diet-Related α-Glucosidase and Lipase Inhibitory Activities of Yogurt Supplemented with Safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) Petal Extract
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Hong H, Lim JM, Kothari D, et al (2021). Antioxidant Properties and Diet-Related α-Glucosidase and Lipase Inhibitory Activities of Yogurt Supplemented with Safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) Petal Extract. Food science of animal resources. doi:10.5851/kosfa.2020.e88Free full textPubMed 33506222DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error