Research progresses and prospects of medicated oil dual-purpose crop safflower based on patent mining

Safflower is widely cultivated and used as a dual-purpose medicinal oil worldwide. This research used the incoPat patent database to search the global safflower patents for nearly 20 years, aiming to reveal the development process and current situation of the safflower industry in China and around the world by analyzing patent application trends, patent technology characteristics, advantageous industries and regions, patent quality, etc. The analysis shows that safflower patent applications are generally increasing, and the period 2010-2016 is characterized by the rapid development of patent applications. The technical features of global patents are mainly concentrated in pharmaceutical preparations, cosmetics, food and health care, various beverages, animal feed, safflower cultivation and harvesting equipment, and safflower seed oil. During the rapid development of patent applications, safflower was further developed in cosmetics, edible oil, and harvesting equipment. In addition, patent applications in rheumatism and bone diseases have increased, with the potential for development. China is the leading region for researching and developing medicinal safflower patents, especially Shandong and Henan provinces. Foreign patents are more focused on the value development of safflower seed oil in food and chemicals. Compared to the major countries and organizations that apply for safflower patents on a global scale, the quality of Chinese safflower patents is medium, and more awareness of patent protection is required. This paper provides suggestions for the subsequent development of the safflower industry, summarizes and analyzes the development trend of safflower patents, and provides new ideas to obtain innovative patent results.