the use of carthamiflos (the flowers of Carthamustinctorius L.) as a coloring and flavoring agent has increased as a food additive in Iran. In order to evaluate its safety, the teratogenic effects of carthamiflos on the central nervous system development in mice was investigated. Furthermore, its cytotoxic effect on the rat nervous cell culture was studied to complete safety evaluations. For teratogenic studies, after natural mating, pregnant mice were divided into test and control groups. The groups were treated with different dosage regimens of aqueous carthamiflos extract during 0-8 days of gestation.