Pressurized liquid extraction and chemical characterization of safflower oil: A comparison between methods

•Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) oil obtained by pressurized ethanol.•Global yield similar to traditional methods (Soxhlet and Ultrasound).•Fatty acid profiles: may be modulated from the experimental conditions.•PLE: requires mild temperature, low amount of solvent and a shorter extraction time. This work investigates the extraction process of safflower oil using pressurized ethanol, and compares the chemical composition obtained (in terms of fatty acids) with other extraction techniques. Soxhlet and Ultrasound showed maximum global yield of 36.53% and 30.41%, respectively (70°C and 240min). PLE presented maximum global yields of 25.62% (3mLmin−1), 19.94% (2mLmin−1) and 12.37% (1mLmin−1) at 40°C, 100bar and 60min. Palmitic acid showed the lower concentration in all experimental conditions (from 5.70% to 7.17%); Stearic and Linoleic acid presented intermediate concentrations (from 2.93% to 25.09% and 14.09% to 19.06%, respectively); Oleic acid showed higher composition (from 55.12% to 83.26%). Differences between percentages of fatty acids, depending on method were observed. Results may be applied to maximize global yields and select fatty acids, reducing the energetic costs and process time.