Saffron

AIM: This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of saffron supplementation on the glycemic outcomes in patients with diabetes. METHODS: Eight electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to March 31, 2023. RCTs of patients with diabetes receiving saffron compared with placebo which reported glycemic control outcomes were identified. WMD and 95% CIs were pooled using fixed-effects or random-effects models, depending on the significance of heterogeneity...

The effect of Crocus sativus on several disorders has been discussed or even confirmed, but the efficacy of this herb on the female reproductive system has not been well presented. In this regard, this systematic review comprehensively discussed the efficacy of C. sativus and its main phytochemical compounds on the female reproductive system and its disorders for the first time. In this systematic review, scientific databases, including PubMed, Web of Sciences, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Scientific Information Database, were explored profoundly...

Following the publication of the above article, an interested reader drew to the authors' attention that, in Fig. 1E on p. 1885, the STAT3 blots shown for the A549 and A2780 cell lines were strikingly similar, such that these data were possibly derived from the same original source where the panels were intended to show the results from differently performed experiments. Upon examining their original data, the authors have realized that an inadvertent error was made in assembling the data in the figure, and the STAT3 data shown correctly for the A549 cell line were erroneously copied across for the A2780 cell line...

Knowing climate characteristics enables the detection of particular climate characteristics and their boundaries. This situation is essential in terms of providing sustainable use of areal resources and directing land use plans. For this reason, in this study, climate boundary maps of the Safranbolu district were created based on the need to form a basis for planning. For this purpose, measurement data of all meteorological stations in the district for the last 30 years were obtained; data were associated with the location, and the water balance of each station was calculated using the Thornthwaite climate classification method...

Introduction: Jinteng Qingbi granules (JTQBG), a traditional Chinese medicine formulation, are widely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) due to their satisfactory therapeutic efficacy. However, the underlying mechanism of action remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the protective effects of JTQBG against RA and elucidates its potential molecular mechanisms. Methods: A collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model was utilized, and JTQBG (1.25, 2.5, 5 g/kg/day) or methotrexate (MTX, 1 mg/kg/week) was orally administered...

Safe and anti-inflammatory plant-based natural products present an increasing focus in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as osteoarthritis or inflammatory bowel diseases. Among them, saffron, a spice derived from the stigma of Crocus sativus, could have anti-inflammatory properties and would be therefore a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of such conditions. However, the anti-inflammatory molecular mechanisms of saffron in humans are still understudied and unclear. In this study, combining human serum metabolites and cell cultures, we evaluated the effect of circulating metabolites from the consumption of a patented saffron extract (Safr'InsideTM ) on the chondrocytes and colon epithelial cell responses to inflammatory stress...

BACKGROUND: The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is the dietary pattern par excellence for managing and preventing metabolic diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM). The MedDiet incorporates spices and aromatic herbs, which are abundant sources of bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of all aromatic herbs and spices included in the MedDiet, such as black cumin, clove, parsley, saffron, thyme, ginger, black pepper, rosemary, turmeric, basil, oregano, and cinnamon, on the glycemic profile in T2DM subjects...

Stroke is a major contributor to global mortality and disability. While reperfusion is essential for preventing neuronal death in the penumbra, it also triggers cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, a paradoxical injury primarily caused by oxidative stress, inflammation, and blood-brain barrier disruption. An oxidative burst inflicts marked cellular damage, ranging from alterations in mitochondrial function to lipid peroxidation and the activation of intricate signalling pathways that can even lead to cell death...

Saffron ( Crocus sativus L.) is one of the most expensive spices in the world, boasting rich medicinal and edible value. However, the effective development of active natural substances in saffron is still limited. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on the saffron stigma protein, and the main effect peptides have not been identified. In this study, the total protein composition of saffron stigmas was analyzed, and two main antioxidant peptides (DGGSDYLGK and VDPYFNK) were identified, which showed high antioxidant activity...

The cultivation of Crocus sativus L. to obtain the saffron spice generates a large amount of biowaste, constituted mainly by the flower's tepals. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant and dermo-protective effect of a complex methanolic extract of C. sativus tepals. The extract's major phenolic content was analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization, coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS). Then, the antioxidant in vitro activity of the extract was studied and related to their chemical composition...

Lamellar unit cell reconstruction from neutron and X-ray diffraction data provides information about the disposition and position of molecules and molecular segments with respect to the bilayer. When supplemented with the judicious use of molecular deuteration, the technique probes the molecular interactions and conformations within the bilayer membrane and the water layer which constitute the crystallographic unit cell. The perspective is model independent, and potentially, with a higher degree of resolution than is available with other techniques...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in articular cartilage damage in osteoarthritis (OA). However, the biological role of miRNAs in the chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) remains largely unclear. Rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) were isolated, cultured, and identified. Afterwards, rBMSCs were induced to chondrogenic differentiation, examined by Alcian Blue staining. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in rBMSCs between induced and non-induced groups by miRNA sequencing analysis, part of which was validated via PCR assay...

BACKGROUND: Rahnella perminowiae S11P1 and Variovorax sp. S12S4 are two plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria that were previously isolated from the rhizosphere of Crocus sativus L. (saffron), and have demonstrated interesting PGP activities and promising results when used as inoculants in field trials. To further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying their beneficial effects on plant growth, comprehensive genome mining of S11P1 and S12S4 and comparative genomic analysis with closely related strains were conducted...

Intelligent packaging embedded with food freshness indicators can monitor food quality and be deployed for food safety and cutting food waste. The innovative nano-inks for dynamic shelf-life printing based on natural food colorant with application in real-time monitoring of shrimp freshness were prepared. Co-assembly of saffron petal anthocyanin (SPA) with hydrophobic curcumin (Cur) into chitin nano-scaffold (particle sizes around 26 ± 8 nm) could deliver hindering SPA leaching, confirmed by FT-IR, FE-SEM, AFM, and color stability test...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the long-term efficacy and safety of oral saffron, a natural antioxidant, in treating mild/moderate age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Open-label, extension trial of 93 adults (>50 years) with mild/moderate AMD and vision >20/70 Snellen equivalent in at least 1 eye. Exclusion criteria included confounding visual lesions or significant gastrointestinal disease impairing absorption.Participants were given oral saffron supplementation (20 mg/day) for 12 months...

Neuroprotective effects for natural products are supported by several studies. In this regard, safranal, a constitute of saffron, has the potential to exert beneficial effects in neuro-logical disorders such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Here, we investigated the effect of safranal on penicillin-induced epileptiform activity. Also, the effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) microinjection of AM251 as a CB1-cannabinoid receptors antagonist to clarify the possible mechanism of safranal were evaluated...

Crocin-I, a valuable natural compound found in saffron (Crocus sativus L.), is the most abundant among the various crocin structures. Developing a cost-effective and scalable purification process to produce high-purity crocin-I is of great interest for future investigations into its biological properties and its potential applications in the treatment of neurological disorders. However purifying crocin-I through single-column preparative chromatography (batch) poses a yield-purity trade-off due to structural similarities among crocins, meaning that the choice of the collection window sacrifices either yield in benefit of higher purity or vice versa...

Irrigation of crops with domestic wastewater (DW) is a common practice in developing countries like India. However, domestic wastewater irrigation poses a risk of migration of toxic heavy metals to edible parts of crops, which requires serious measures to prevent their uptake. In this study, the effect of DW irrigation in comparison with Sarbal Lake water (SLW) and borewell water (BW) on soil characteristics and cultivated saffron ( Crocus sativus L.) was investigated. For this purpose, samples of water, soil, and saffron (corm, petal, and stigma) were collected from the suburban area of Pampore, Srinagar district, Jammu and Kashmir, India...

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus L., which has been used for centuries as a coloring and flavoring agent, as well as a source of medicinal compounds. Saffron contains various bioactive constituents, such as crocin, crocetin, safranal, picrocrocin, and kaempferol, that have shown potential benefits for human health. Among them, crocin is the most abundant and characteristic constituent of saffron, responsible for its bright red color and antioxidant properties. One of the most promising applications of saffron and its constituents is in the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders...

Gel-based wound dressings have gained popularity within the healthcare industry for the prevention and treatment of bacterial and fungal infections. Gels based on deep eutectic solvents (DESs), known as eutectogels, provide a promising alternative to hydrogels as they are non-volatile and highly tunable and can solubilize therapeutic agents, including those insoluble in hydrogels. A choline chloride:glycerol-cellulose eutectogel was loaded with numerous antimicrobial agents including silver nanoparticles, black phosphorus nanoflakes, and commercially available pharmaceuticals (octenidine dihydrochloride, tetracycline hydrochloride, and fluconazole)...