In a review article published in the journal Nutrients , the authors summarized the findings of existing studies investigating the significance of saffron and its by-products in preventing and treating a range of human diseases. Review: Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and Its By-Products: Healthy Effects in Internal Medicine .
Image Credit: ZhakYaroslav / Shutterstock Background Saffron, scientifically termed Crocus sativus L., is a costly and precious spice from Asia derived exclusively from dried stigmas. Besides food products, beverages, and cosmetics, saffron is used widely in traditional medicine because of its numerous health benefits, including antimicrobial, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities.
Saffron and its by-products are considered a valuable source of several bioactive compounds that are known to play preventive and therapeutic roles in a range of diseases, including degenerative maculopathy, depression and anxiety, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and chronic kidney disease. The authors of this review article have searched various scientific databases to identify studies that investigated the preventive and therapeutic potencies of saffron and its by-products. This review includes studies published in English between 1990 and 2024.
Bioactive compounds in saffron The main bioactive compounds found in saffron include crocins, safranal, and picrocrocin. Crocins are hydr.