Antidepressant activity of crocin, saffron main component, has been established before. Based on previous study, it is suggested that elevation in the levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), CREB (cAMP response element binding) and VGF neuropeptide could be considered as one probable molecular mechanisms involved in antidepressant activity of long term crocin administration in the r...

Oxidative stress damage to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells is thought to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Crocin, a pharmacologically active component of Crocus sativus L., was reported to have anti-antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. However, whether crocin protects against oxidative stress-induced retinal damage in RPE cells is ...

Introduction: In this study, two constituents of saffron stigma (crocin and safranal) were tested for possible cytotoxic and antitumoral activity using brine shrimp and potato disc assays. Methods: In the brine shrimp assay, three wells containing 10 nauplii were tested for each concentration. After 24h, the number of the nauplii was counted. To investigate the antimicrobial activity of safr...

Objectives The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the effects of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury on the activity of antioxidant enzymes, biochemical factors, and histopathological changes in rat kidney, and to investigate the effect of crocin on IR-related changes. Materials and Methods Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four groups (n=8). They wer...

BACKGROUND Crocin, a carotenoid isolated from Crocus sativus L. (saffron), is a pharmacologically active component of saffron. Nicotine consumption can decrease fertility in males through induction of oxidative stress and DNA damage. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of crocin on reproductive parameter damages in male mice exposed to nicotine. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this exp...

objective: crocin is an active ingredient of saffron (crocus sativus l.) and its antioxidant properties have been previously investigated. this carotenoid scavenges free radicals and stimulates glutathione (gsh) synthesis; consequently, it may protect cells against oxidative stress. the aim of this research is to protect oocytes from oxidative stress by the addition of a natural source antioxid...

Crocin is a water-soluble carotenoid pigment that is primarily used in various cuisines as a seasoning and coloring agent, as well as in traditional medicines for the treatment of edema, fever, and hepatic disorder. In this study, we demonstrated that crocin markedly induces the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) which leads to an anti-inflammatory response. Crocin inhibited inducible nitric...

The present study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of crocin on gastric mucosal lesions caused by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. Forty male rats were randomly divided into sham, control (I/R injury) and three crocin-pretreated groups. To induce I/R lesions, the celiac artery was clamped for 30 min and then the clamp was removed to allow reperfusion for 3 h. Pretreated-rats re...

The current study investigates the inhibitory effect of crocin(s), also known as saffron apocarotenoids, on protein glycation and aggregation in diabetic rats, and α-crystallin glycation. Thus, crocin(s) were administered by intraperitoneal injection to normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The cataract progression was recorded regularly every two weeks and was classified into four s...