The production of saffron spice results
in numerous byproducts,
as only 15 g of spice can be produced from 1 kg of flowers, indicating
that over 90% of the saffron flower material is eventually discarded
as waste. In view of this, the paper reviews current knowledge on
the natural active components in saffron byproducts and their biological
activities, aiming to lay a theoretical and scientific foundation
for the further utilization. Saffron byproducts contain a variety
of phytochemical components, such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids,
phenolic acids, monoterpenoids, alkaloids, glycosides, and saponins.
The activities of saffron byproducts and their mechanisms are also
discussed in detail here.