Hydroxysafflor yellow A is a C-glycosyl compound that is 3,4,5-trihydroxycyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one which is substituted by beta-D-glucosyl groups at positions 2 and 4, and by a p-hydroxycinnamoyl group at position 6. It is the main bioactive compound of a traditional Chinese medicine obtained from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius). It has a role as an antioxidant, an antineoplastic agent, a radical scavenger, a platelet aggregation inhibitor, a neuroprotective agent, an anti-inflammatory agent, an EC 3.2.1.48 (sucrose alpha-glucosidase) inhibitor and a plant metabolite. It is a C-glycosyl compound, an enol, a member of phenols and an enone.
