Crocus sativus L. was used for the treatment of a wide range of disorders in traditional medicine. Due to the extensive protective and treatment properties of C. sativus and its constituents in various diseases, the purpose of this review is to collect a summary of its effects, on experimental studies, both in vitro and in vivo. Databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus were explored until January 2023 by employing suitable keywords. Several investigations have indicated that the therapeutic properties of C. sativus may be due to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the nervous, cardiovascular, immune, and respiratory systems. Further research has shown that its petals also have anticonvulsant properties. Pharmacological studies have shown that crocetin and safranal have anti-oxidant properties and through inhibiting the release of free radicals lead to the prevention of disorders such as tumor cell proliferation, atherosclerosis, hepatotoxicity, bladder toxicity, and ethanol induced hippocampal disorders. Numerous studies have been performed on the effect of C. sativus and its constituents in laboratory animal models under in vitro and in vivo conditions on various disorders. This is necessary but not enough and more clinical trials are needed to investigate unknown aspects of the therapeutic properties of C. sativus and its main constituents in different disorders.
Key Words: Crocetin, Crocin, Crocus sativus, Pharmacological action, Saffron, Safranal
Author Biographies
Saeideh Saadat, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
These authors contributed equally to this work
Zahra Ghasemi, Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
These authors contributed equally to this work
Arghavan Memarzia, Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Mohammad Aslani, Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Lung Diseases Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
Mohammad Boskabady, Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Click on "Archives" to access the full archive of scientific preprints. You may use the categories and the search functionality to find select preprints you're interested in.
