Saffron, obtained from the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L., is an important spice, rich in carotenoids. Carotenoids are capable of protecting cells from the attack of free radicals, which naturally develop during sunbathing, smoking, exercise – even breathing oxygen. It has been estimated that our body needs 6 to 30 mg of carotenoids per day to protect its cells. These amounts are normally c...

Saffron (Crocus sativus Linn.) has been an important subject of research in the past two decades because of its various biological properties, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-atherosclerotic activities. On the other hand, the molecular bases of its actions have been scarcely understood. Here, we elucidated the mechanism of the hypoglycemic actions of saffron through investiga...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this double-blind and placebo-controlled trial was to investigate whether saffron (stigma of Crocus sativus L.) could relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). DESIGN Double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled trial. SETTING Departments of Gynaecology/Obstetrics and Psychiatry, Tehran and Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. POPULATION Women aged 20-45 y...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Here we investigated the antitumor effect and mechanism of Zhejiang (Huzhou and Jiande) saffron against lung cancer cell lines, A549 and H446. Using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the contents of crocin I and II were determined. In vitro, MTT assay and annexin-V FITC/PI staining showed cell proliferation activit...

PURPOSE The present study sought to investigate whether Crocus sativus stigmas (saffron) extract prevents selenium-induced cataractogenesis in vivo, and to study its possible protective mechanism. METHODS Wistar rat pups were randomized into three groups. Group I (control) received subcutaneous injection of normal saline on postnatal day 10. Groups II (selenite-treated) and III (selenite+saff...

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is one of the most important and expensive medicinal spice products in the world. Because of its high market value and premium price, saffron is often adulterated through the incorporation of other materials, such as Carthamus tinctorius L. and Calendula officinalis L. flowers, Hemerocallis L. petals, Daucus carota L. fleshy root, Curcuma longa L. rhizomes, Zea may L...

Saffron is an important crop in social and economical aspects in Khorassan Province (Northeast of Iran). In this research we tried to evaluate trends of saffron yield in recent years and to study the relationship between saffron yield and the climate change. A regression analysis was used to predict saffron yield based on 20 years of yield data in Birjand, Ghaen and Ferdows cities. Climatologic...

The primary goal of this study was to propose saffron as a sustainable substitute crop with high added value in some Moroccan agricultural areas with low and erratic rainfalls, for their socio-economical development. The quality of the saffron spice has to be evaluated prior to recommendation for commercial production. For this purpose, saffron was grown in experimental plots for the first time...

Saffron (Croucus sativus L) has been used traditionally as a spice for flavoring and coloring preparations. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of saffron on some neurotransmitter content in the different brain regions, i.e. cerebellum, brainstem, striatum, cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and hippocampus. The daily (i.p.) administration of saffron extract (60mg/kg) for four wee...

Traditional knowledge can be used as a source for development of new medicines. In the present study, we compare the data on saffron in Razi's Al-Hawi book with modern scientific studies. A computerized search of published articles was performed using MEDLINE, Scopus as well as native references. The search terms used were saffron, Crocus sativus, crocetin, crocin, safranal, Razi, and Al-Hawi. ...