Treatment with crocin improves cardiac dysfunction by normalizing autophagy and inhibiting apoptosis in STZ-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy

Motlagh

et al. 2019

Phytotherapy Research

This trial evaluated the potential impacts of saffron aqueous extract (SAE) and its main carotenoid on some of the atherosclerosis-related gene expression and serum levels of oxidized low-density cholesterol (ox-LDL) and Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Participants of this randomized controlled trial included 84 CAD patients who categorized into three groups: Group 1 received crocin (30 mg/day), Group 2 SAE (30 mg/day), and Group 3 placebo for 8 weeks. Gene expression of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), Lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor 1 (LOX1), nuclear factor kappalight-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and MCP-1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells assessed by real-time PCR. Furthermore, serum ox-LDL and MCP-1 levels measured at the beginning and end of the intervention. Compared with the placebo group, gene expression of SIRT1 and AMPK increased significantly in the crocin group(p = .001), and the expression of LOX1 and NF-κB decreased significantly (p = .016 and .004, respectively). Serum ox-LDL levels decreased significantly in the crocin group after the intervention (p = .002) while MCP-1 levels decreased both in crocin and SAE groups (p = .001). Crocin may have beneficial effects on CAD patients by increasing the gene expression of SIRT1 and AMPK and decreasing the expression of LOX1 and NF-κB. K E Y W O R D SAMPK, coronary artery disease, crocin, LOX1, NF-κB, SIRT1

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of crocin and saffron aqueous extract on gene expression of SIRT1, AMPK, LOX1, NF‐κB, and MCP‐1 in patients with coronary artery disease: A randomized placebo‐controlled clinical trial

Motlagh

et al. 2019

Phytotherapy Research

J of Biol Res-Thessaloniki

“…Under the above-mentioned conditions (light, pH, air, temperature) the molecule of crocin maintains its stability [80]. The administration of crocin as an aqueous solution via water bottles is a novel method, applied only once [13]. We consider as advantageous the simplicity of the method and the avoidance of potential administration of anesthetics, hence keeping the animal welfare at a high level.…”

Section: Experimental Protocolmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since some of the observed effects did not correlate with alterations of the oxidative status, the authors suggested that this effect must be due to a different, probably direct mechanism that may involve currently unknown properties of the crocin molecule that go beyond its antioxidant capacity. Feidantsis et al [13] also made a similar, yet not substantiated suggestion in a study on the effect of crocin on cardiac dysfunction in STZ-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy.…”

mentioning

confidence: 92%

Effect of crocin on antioxidant gene expression, fibrinolytic parameters, redox status and blood biochemistry in nicotinamide-streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Margaritis

Angelopoulou

Lavrentiadou

et al. 2020

Background: Diabetes is regarded as an epidemiological threat for the twenty-first century. Phytochemicals with known pharmaceutical properties have gained interest in the field of alleviating secondary complications of diseases. Such a substance is crocin, a basic constituent of saffron (Crocus sativus). The present study aimed at examining the beneficial effects of per os crocin administration on the antioxidant status, blood biochemical profile, hepatic gene expression and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity (PAI-1) in the liver, kidney and plasma (an important marker of pre-diabetic status and major factor of thrombosis in diabetes) of healthy rats, as well as of rats with nicotinamidestreptozotocin-induced diabetes. Results: Diabetes disrupted the oxidation-antioxidation balance, while crocin improved the antioxidant state in the liver by significantly affecting SOD1 gene expression and/or by restoring SOD and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels. In the kidney, crocin improved hydrogen peroxide decomposing activity and TAC. In blood, hepatic transaminases ALT and AST decreased significantly, while there was a trend of decrease regarding blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. The expression of PAI-1 gene was affected in the liver by the dose of 50 mg kg −1. Conclusions: Crocin treatment contributed in restoring some parameters after diabetes induction, primarily by affecting significantly hepatic transaminases ALT and AST, SOD1 and PAI-1 gene expression and nephric H 2 O 2 decomposing activity. In conclusion, crocin did contribute to the alleviation of some complications of diabetes.

“…Mice in the Crocin group were given 20 mg/kg of crocin daily. The dose of crocin was selected based on a previous study (25). Wild-type (WT) mice were treated with the vehicle in the same manner as the normal controls.…”

Section: Animal Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crocin inhibits obesity <i>via</i> AMPK-dependent inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and promotion of lipolysis

Luo

Fang

2018

BST

Obesity has become a severe public health problem worldwide. Crocin, a natural product, has been reported to have a number of pharmacological activities, including antiinflammatory, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, antihypertensive, and cardioprotective action. The aims of the current study were to identify the beneficial effects of crocin on obesity, adipocyte differentiation, and lipolysis and to evaluate the possible role of AMPK. Results indicated that crocin significantly increased AMPK phosphorylation in differentiated adipocytes in vitro and in adipose tissue in db/db mice. Crocin reduced lipid accumulation in differentiated adipocytes. In addition, crocin inhibited the expression of mRNA of important adipogenesis-related regulators, including CEBPα, CEBPβ, PPARγ, aP2, FAS, and CD36, in both differentiated adipocytes and adipose tissue in db/db mice. Crocin increased the expression of mRNA of key lipolysis-associated factors, including PPARα, LPL, and HSL, in both differentiated adipocytes and adipose tissue in db/db mice. In adipocytes, knockdown of AMPK significantly suppressed the crocin-induced inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and increase in lipolysis. BML-275 is an inhibitor of AMPK. In adipose tissue in db/db mice, BML-275 suppressed crocin-induced inhibition of fat formation and alleviation of a metabolic disorder. The current results suggest that crocin alleviates obesity in db/db mice and that it inhibits adipocyte differentiation in preadipocytes. Crocin inhibits adipogenesis and promotes lipolysis via activation of AMPK. Therefore, crocin may have promise as an option for the clinical treatment for obesity and associated metabolic diseases.