Evaluation of antioxidant activities of bioactive compounds and various extracts obtained from saffron (Crocus sativus L.): a review

Abstract

Saffron (Crocus sativus L. stigma), the most valuable medicinal food product, belongs to the Iridaceae family which has been widely used as a coloring and flavoring agent. These properties are basically related to its crocins, picrocrocin and safranal contents which have all demonstrated health promoting properties. The present review article highlights the phytochemical constituents (phenolic and flavonoid compounds, degraded carotenoid compounds crocins and crocetin) that are important in antioxidant activity of saffron extracts. However, the synergistic effect of all the bioactive components presence in saffron gave a significant antioxidant activity similar to vegetables rich in carotenoids. Our study provides an updated overview focused on the antioxidant activity of saffron related to its bioactive compounds to design the different functional products in food, medicine and cosmetic industries.

UGT709G1: a novel uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of picrocrocin, the precursor of safranal in saffron (Crocus sativus)

“…Overall, this evidence suggests that the high level of picrocrocin in stigma tissues might confer an ecological advantage to saffron due to its bitter taste, as a defense mechanism against predators. In agreement with this hypothesis, safranal itself has been shown to have antimicrobial activity (Rahaiee et al ., ), albeit its level in fresh stigmas is rather low (Moraga et al ., ).…”

Crocin treatment prevents doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in rats

“…Although the exact mechanism of CRO as a water soluble carotenoid for scavenging of free radicals is not yet clearly known, but it has been accepted that the mechanistic paths could be similar to those of the most known carotenoids [35]. Hence, it seems reasonable to speculate that CRO can modulate intracellular oxidative stress by regulation of body's natural antioxidant enzymes, when CRO absorbed into the blood plasma [38]. On the other side, it was found CRO has cytoprotective effect against hydrogen peroxide-induced endothelial cell injury in a dose dependent manner [46].…”

Widespread brain transcriptome alterations underlie the neuroprotective actions of dietary saffron

“…Redefining saffron as more than an antioxidant The benefits of saffron have widely been assumed to relate to its strong antioxidant capacity (Rahaiee et al 2015). However, the extensive molecular alterations in the brains of saffron-treated mice, in the absence of an insult, suggest additional actions that may enhance tissue resilience.…”