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The cultivation of high-yielding forage crops with superior quality and adaptability to the climatic conditions of Iran has gained considerable attention due to the shortage of forage resources. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), a multipurpose plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, is valued for its medicinal, oilseed, and forage uses. This crop is well adapted to most regions of Iran, particularly arid and semi-arid areas, and thus represents a promising option for forage production under such conditions. In the present study, the nutritive value of promising safflower forage genotypes was evaluated through the determination of chemical composition (dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash, NDF, ADF, calcium, and phosphorus), total soluble carbohydrates, individual soluble sugars (glucose, sucrose, and fructose), starch, anti-nutritional factors (total phenols, total tannins, and lignin), as well as estimates of metabolizable energy (ME), organic matter digestibility (OMD), and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) using the in vitro gas production technique. Fatty acid profiles were also analyzed via gas chromatography. Two superior genotypes, Darab 4 and Faraman, were harvested at the early flowering stage from two sites in Kermanshah province (Dinavar and Ravansar) and one site in Khorasan Razavi province (Shirvan). The results indicated no significant differences between the two genotypes for most traits, with the exception of calcium content (p < 0.05). Both genotypes exhibited crude protein levels exceeding 10% and acceptable relative feed value (RFV). Moreover, their ME and OMD values were superior compared with alfalfa hay and wheat straw. Anti-nutritional factors were present at low levels and did not limit animal intake. The results showed that the total soluble sugar content and starch significantly differed between the two genotypes (p < 0.01), and sucrose was the predominant sugar in both genotypes. Fatty acid profiling revealed that both genotypes were rich in unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid (C18:2). Overall, these findings suggest that both safflower genotypes possess high forage value and can be effectively utilized as livestock feed.
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