جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه "saffron" در نشریات گروه "پزشکی"

Trans-sodium crocetinate (TSC) is one of the crocetin derivations that is more soluble and stable than crocetin and its cis form. It easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. TSC has neuroprotective effects. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-mimicking compound that induces Parkinson-like disease by impacting the dopaminergic system. In this research, the effects of TSCs on BPA-induced Parkinson-like symptoms via behavioral and molecular assays have been investigated.

Male Wistar rats received BPA (75 mg/kg, gavage), TSC (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg), and levodopa (L-dopa) (10 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection (IP) for 28 days. Parkinsonian-like motor features were evaluated using bar test, rotarod, and open field experiments. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were also measured as the most important indicators of oxidative stress. Western blotting was performed for the molecular assays of alpha-synuclein (α-syn), Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, Beclin, and LC3 I/II proteins. 

Our analyses indicated that treatment with TSC at high dose reduces MDA levels and protects GSH reserves. TSC can also increase anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and decrease pro-apoptotic Bax and Caspase-3 proteins. While it does not affect autophagy markers, TSC decreased α-syn protein expression, reduced the catalepsy time, and improved the time spent staying on the rotating bar and the locomotor activity.  

Overall, TSC likely ameliorates BPA-mediated Parkinson’ s-like symptoms by suppressing oxidative stress inhibition. This leads to reduced α-syn expression, which ultimately results in apoptosis inductions. Therefore, TSC can serve as a promising exploratory target for future research aimed at controlling Parkinson’s disease.

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) leads to impaired vision and potential blindness. Globally, it accounts for approximately 9% of vision loss cases, and a projected 288 million individuals will be affected by 2040. Current treatments have limitations such as variable effectiveness, high costs, and potential side effects. Additionally, atrophic ARMD management remains challenging. As saffron has shown promising neuroprotective and antioxidant effects by potentially delaying disease progression, this study aims to review the mechanistic, pre-clinical, and clinical evidence of the effects, safety, and tolerability of saffron in ARMD treatment.

The Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles was applied in this narrative review. To find relevant literature, the syntax “(saffron OR crocus) AND (retin* OR “geographic atrophy” OR “choroidal neovascular*” OR “macular degeneration”)” was searched in PubMed/MEDLINE. Pre-clinical and clinical original investigations of the effects of saffron in ARMD along with the eligible studies cited in their reference lists were identified and included.

Saffron and its active compounds, crocin and crocetin, have shown promising results in improving visual function and delaying ARMD progression. Several clinical studies have found that daily supplementation with 20–50 mg of saffron or 5–15 mg of crocin for 3–12 months significantly improved best-corrected visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and retinal function as measured by electroretinogram and microperimetry, with benefits observed in both dry and wet forms of ARMD. The effects were independent of genetic risk factors and maintained during the follow-up periods, suggesting the potential role of saffron as a long-term treatment option. Saffron reduces ARMD progression via anti-angiogenic, neuroprotective, and antioxidant mechanisms. Moreover, saffron is safe and well tolerated.

Although further research is needed to confirm long-term safety and efficacy, current evidence supports the use of saffron or crocin supplements as a safe and tolerable adjunct therapy for ARMD management.

Although peripheral nerve injury is not life-threatening, it causes significant disability. Following these damages, ischemia and inflammatory processes occur, resulting in neurological dysfunction. Several medications have been explored to alleviate the symptoms of peripheral nerve injury.

This study aimed to investigate how crocin (CR) and azithromycin (AZ) affected sciatic nerve crush injuries in rats.

Five groups were established using 40 adult male rats: control, lesion, AZ, CR and AZ+CR. Except for the control group, sciatic nerve injury was surgically induced in the other groups. AZ and CR were administered alone or together to three treatment groups for seven days. Following the behavioral evaluations, sections of the sciatic nerve were stained for immunohistochemical, histological and morphometric assessment.

CR treatment’s efficacy was more pronounced than AZ’s (P≤0.001). CR was found to be less efficacious than combination therapy involving AZ and CR, as determined by sciatic functional index (P≤0.001), hot plate (P≤0.001), and immunohistochemical analysis (P≤0.001). In the remaining evaluations, no significant difference existed between the AZ+CR and CR groups (P> 0.05).

This study found that both AZ and CR significantly improved the recovery of sciatic nerve injuries in rats, with CR being more effective. The combination of AZ and CR showed even greater benefits in some assessments compared to CR alone, although no significant differences were observed in other evaluations. These findings suggest that CR is a promising treatment for peripheral nerve injury and that combination therapy may enhance certain aspects of recovery.

Diabetes, as a chronic metabolic disease, can induce oxidative stress, leading to severe damage to various tissues, including the kidneys, heart, and others. This study aimed to assess the influence of saffron and its active component on oxidative stress markers in diabetic rats.

The databases were searched until December 24, 2021. The quality of the included articles was assessed using SYRCLE’s Risk of Bias tool. To estimate the effects of saffron and its active component, SMD with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using a random-effects model. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to explore heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using the Begg and Egger tests. The results were reported under the PRISMA guidelines.

The meta-analysis comprising 42 articles revealed that prolonged hyperglycemia leads to increased oxidative markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), total oxidant status (TOS), xanthine oxidase (XO), and reactive oxygen species (ROS)), and decreased antioxidant defense system, including glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), total antioxidant status (TAS), thiol groups (SH), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Treatment of diabetic rats with saffron, crocin, and safranal decreased the oxidant markers and increased the antioxidant markers.

Saffron, crocin, and safranal reduce oxidative stress by reinforcing the antioxidant defense system and reducing oxidant markers. Hence, we believe that saffron and its active ingredients can be favorable options for managing diabetes and its complications. However, further human studies are required to draw definite conclusions.

We aimed to investigate the concentrations of metals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), in various types of saffron.

All published studies until 2022 were searched from PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The published articles’ references were also evaluated to investigate the prevalence of heavy metal contamination in different types of saffron. The heterogeneity and concentration were estimated using I2 and the random effect model, respectively.

Among 128 articles retrieved in the identification phase, eight articles were included in this meta-analysis. The Pb exhibited the highest concentration among metals, with an average concentration of 0.10 mg/kg and a range of 0.11-0.10 mg/kg. Cd had the lowest concentration, with an average of 0.009 mg/kg and a range of 0.008-0.010 mg/kg. The concentration of Ni, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu were also in accordance with the sequence of Ni > Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu. Specifically, Ni demonstrated the highest concentration among essential metals in the sample, with an average of 2.81 mg/kg and a range of 2.76-2.86 mg/kg, while Cd displayed the lowest concentration, with an average of 0.022 mg/kg and a range of 0.023-0.023 mg/kg.

The concentration of different metals in the examined saffron was variable, which can be attributed to several factors, including characteristics of the metals, nature of the saffron plant, composition of the irrigation water and the soil used for production of the plant, water conditions and crop cultivation.

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases and one of the main causes of death all over the world. This study aimed to investigate the effect of consumption of saffron extract combined with aerobic exercise on glycemic indices in streptozotocin induced diabetic male rats with.  This experimental study was conducted on 40 adult male rats aged 10-12 weeks weighing 220-250g. Rats were randomly allocated to diabetic control, diabetic exercise, diabetic saffron, and diabetic exercise + saffron groups after the induction of diabetes. Moderate intensity exercise was administered five days a week for eight weeks. Before and after eight weeks glycemic indices were measured, and the data were analyzed with Kolmogorov-Smirnov, one-way analysis of variance, and Tukey's post hoc tests.  The results showed that fasting glucose in the saffron extract + aerobic exercise was significantly lower than the control and the aerobic training groups (p=0.014). Glycosylated hemoglobin in the saffron extract + aerobic exercise group was lower than the control group (p=0.001), and insulin resistance in the saffron group was lower than the control group with aerobic exercise (p=0.001).  Both an aerobic exercise and a consumption of saffron extract can probably prevent diabetes by reducing hyperglycemic indicators. Aerobic exercise and consumption of saffron extract co-administration can exert more beneficial effects.

Nanoemulsions are a colloidal dispersion of oil/water or water/oil phases stabilized by emulsifiers. The physicochemical properties of nanoemulsions have made them suitable candidates for the delivery of bioactive compounds. Oil-in-water nanoemulsions are proper carriers for hydrophobic and water-in-oil or water-in-oil-in-water nanoemulsions are good carriers for hydrophilic compounds. Saffron is an expensive bulbous stemless herb whose different bioactive ingredients including crocins, crocetin, safranal, picrocrocin, and essential oils have valuable nutritional, medicinal, pharmaceutical, and antimicrobial properties. The use of nanoemulsion technology is a promising approach for saffron processing. The emulsion liquid membrane is one of the effective techniques for extracting saffron bioactive. On the other hand, encapsulating saffron extract in nanoemulsion droplets can increase the stability, bioavailability, and controlled release of bioactive ingredients of saffron. Due to its inherent antimicrobial activity, saffron can be used in the form of nanoemulsion coatings to increase the quality and shelf life of food products. In this study, the existing studies on saffron nanoemulsions processing were reviewed. The application of nanoemulsion techniques for saffron extraction, saffron bioactive nanoencapsulation, as well as the probable preservative properties of saffron essential oils for food packaging have been discussed. This article also reveals information on two recent patents on the subject of saffron nanoemulsion by ultrasonic method.

In Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) saffron is used as an accompaniment agent “Mobadreq” in poly herbal formulations. According to TPM texts, “Mobadreq” is a substance (or drug) which facilitates access of drugs or food to the whole body or specific organs. This study investigated the effect of oral co-administration of Crocus sativus L. (saffron) on the absorption and some pharmacokinetic parameters of acetaminophen in rats. Two groups of Rats (n=6) were treated by 1: acetaminophen 10 mg/kg along with Crocus sativus 4 mg/kg (test group) and 2: 10 mg/kg acetaminophen (control). The plasma concentrations of acetaminophen after oral administration (at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, 60, 90, and 120 min) were monitored by an HPLC-UV method. Results indicated that the plasma concentration of acetaminophen in the test group was reached to the maximum concentration (Cmax) faster than control group. As a result, at 5 to 40 minutes after drug gavage, the concentration of acetaminophen in both groups was significantly different.  It was also found that co-administration of acetaminophen and saffron significantly increased acetaminophen’s area under concentration curve (AUC0-60) in compare to the acetaminophen alone (p<0.025). These results suggested that saffron could increase absorption rate of acetaminophen. Consequently, saffron can be considered and introduced as an enhancer of absorption rate and efficacy of acetaminophen and other drugs at least by oral route although the drug interactions with this herb should be considered.

Acrylamide (ACR) is a neurotoxic agent whose damage could be attenuated by antioxidants administration. Crocetin is a saffron-derived antioxidant that has neuroprotective effects. This study evaluates the protective effects of trans-sodium crocetinate (TSC) and its water-soluble derivative, Bis-N-(N-methylpyprazinyl) crocetinate (BMPC) against ACR neurotoxicity.

PC12 cells were treated with TSC and BMPC (1.95, 3.9, 7.81, 15.62, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250, 500, and 1000 μM) for 24 hr. ACR was then added at a concentration of 6.5 mM (IC50), and cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide. In the in vivo study, male Wistar rats were treated with ACR (50 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)) for 11 days alone or in combination with TSC and BMPC (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) or vitamin E (200 IU/kg, i.p.). Motor impairments were then evaluated. The cerebral cortex of sacrificed rats was taken for the malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels measurement.

In vitro studies showed that TSC at a concentration of 7.81 μM and BMPC at concentrations of 3.9, 7.81, and 15.62 μM exhibited the lowest toxicity in acrylamide administration. In the in vivo study, pretreatment with 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg of TSC ameliorated behavioral impairments, but BMPC could not attenuate them. GSH and MDA were improved by 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg TSC and 2.5 mg/kg BMPC.

TSC and BMPC administration improved behavioral index and oxidative stress injuries in Wistar rats exposed to ACR through MDA reduction and GSH content enhancement in the cerebral cortex.

Macrophages exhibit versatile phenotypes, with M1 macrophages releasing inflammatory cytokines and possessing microbicidal activities, while M2 macrophages release anti-inflammatory cytokines and contribute to tissue repair. The M1/M2 imbalance plays a significant role in various pathological processes. Crocin, known for its antioxidant properties and ability to eliminate free radicals, has been investigated for its potential anti-inflammatory effects. We examined the effect of the primary activation state of macrophages on their phenotype switching when exposed to crocin. The crocin impact on macrophage viability was evaluated by MTT. TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 secretion, as well as Nos2/Arg1 ratio, were measured in cells treated with crocin or LPS+IFN-γ (M1 inducers), in cells concurrently treated with crocin and LPS+IFN-γ or in cells pretreated with crocin before M1 induction. Crocin did not show any toxicity at the concentration of 500 µM or lower. When uncommitted macrophages were exposed to crocin (25-100 µM), it elevated certain M1 activity indicators, including Nos2/Arg1 ratio and TNF-α secretion, but not IL-6. Crocin in concurrent treatment with LPS+IFN-γ prevented the increase in M1 indicators, Nos2/Arg1 ratio, and TNF-α secretion. However, pretreatment of cells with crocin before the addition of LPS+IFN-γ did not reverse M1 induction in macrophages; instead, it further increased the Nos2/Arg1 ratio and TNF-α secretion. IL-10 was not detectable in any of the experimental groups. It appears that the modulatory effects of crocin on macrophage M1/M2 phenotype switching partly depend on the presence or absence of inflammatory mediators and, accordingly, the initial state of macrophage commitment.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of saffron extract on the embryo development of mice.

Pregnant NMRI mice were randomized into control and treatment groups at 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg saffron doses. Saffron extract was administered to mice by gavage on days 7-12 of pregnancy. On the 17th day of pregnancy, the embryos were removed from the uterus and their weight and height measured. Moreover, their brain tissue has been evaluated histologically. Subsequently, the expression of the Foxp2 and Ascl1 genes in the brain tissue was assessed using the real-time PCR method.

All embryos were aborted in mothers that received 100 mg/kg of saffron. At dose 50 mg/kg, only embryos of a mother reached the end of pregnancy. Embryos treated with 25 mg/kg saffron were significantly heavier than controls (P<0.05). Furthermore, the tail length was significantly shorter (P<0.05). Histological findings showed that there was no difference between the control and treated groups, and the brain tissue was well developed. Foxp2 and Ascl1 genes were significantly overexpressed in both the 25 and 50 mg/kg treatment groups compared to the control group (P<0.05).

The results of this study showed that saffron extract can have significant effects in low concentrations (25 mg/kg) on the development of the mouse embryos as well as the expression of Foxp2 and Ascl1 genes.

According to the worldwide increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the present study aimed to investigate the mechanism effects of saffron consumption on preventing NAFLD in a rat model.

In an experimental study, 12 rats were randomly divided into 2 groups to be evaluated in the prevention phase for 7 weeks. In the prevention phase, the animals were randomly assigned to either fed HFHS + 250 mg/kg saffron (S) or fed with HFHS. Afterward, parts of the liver were excised for histopathologic examination. Plasma concentrations of ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, serum lipids, insulin concentrations, plasma glucose, hs-CRP, and TAC were measured. Moreover, Also, the gene expression of 6 target genes was evaluated, including FAS, ACC1, CPT1، PPARα ،DGAT2, and SREBP 1-c at the beginning and end of the study. Also, the differences among groups were evaluated by the Mann-Whitney test for non-normal data and the independent t test for normal data.

The prevention phase groups have a significant elevation in body weight (P = 0.034) and food intake (P = 0.001) of the HFHS group versus HFHS + 250 mg/kg S group. Also, there was a significant difference between groups 1 and 2 for ALT (P = 0.011) and AST (P = 0.010), and TG (P = 0.040). The HFHS group had higher plasma levels of FBS (P = 0.001), insulin (P = 0.035), HOMA-IR (P = 0.032), and lower TAC (P = 0.041) versus the HFHS+ S group. Also, the difference between HFHS + 250 mg/kg S and HFHS for PPARα gene expression was significant (P = 0.030).

The present study showed that consumption of saffron could prevent developing NAFLD in rats at least partially through modulation in gene expression of PPARα.

Safranal (a monoterpene aldehyde) is the major volatile component of saffron which is responsible for the saffron unique odor. Several studies have shown the pharmacological activities of safranal including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, nephroprotective, gastrointestinal protective, etc.  This study was designed to review the pharmacological and medical effects of safranal and up-to-date previous knowledge. Moreover, some patents related to the pharmacological effects of safranal were gathered. Therefore, electronic databases including Web of Sciences, Scopus, and Pubmed for pharmacological effects and US patent, Patentscope, and Google Patent for patents were comprehensively searched by related English keywords from 2010 to June 2022. According to our review, most of the studies are related to the safranal effects on CNS such as antianxiety, analgesic, anticonvulsant, antiischemic, anti-tremor, memory enhancement and its protective effects on neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson and Huntington diseases. Other effects of safranal are antiasthmatic, antihypertensive, antiaging, anticataract, etc. Moreover, the protective effects of this agent on metabolic syndrome and diabetic nephropathy have been shown. Different mechanisms including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxation, antiapoptotic, and regulatory effects on the genes and proteins expression related to signaling pathways of oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, proliferation, etc. are involved in safranal pharmacological effects. Some patents for the prevention and/or treatment of different diseases such as liver cancer, sleep disorder, depression,  cognitive disorder, obesity and PMS were also included. Based on the documents, safranal is considered a promising therapeutic agent although more clinical studies are needed to verify the beneficial effects of safranal in humans.

The potential therapeutic benefits of saffron and its active constituents have been investigated for the treatment of numerous illnesses. In this review, the impacts of saffron and its essential components on the levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) in different diseases have been delineated. Relevant articles were obtained through databases such as PubMed, Web of Sciences, Scopus, and Google Scholar up to the end of November 2022. miRNA expression has been altered by saffron and its active substances (crocin, crocetin, and safranal) which has been of great advantage in treating diseases such as cardiovascular, type 2 diabetes, cancers, gastrointestinal and liver disorders, central and peripheral nervous system disorders, asthma, osteoarthritis, ischemic-reperfusion induced injury conditions, and renal disorder. This study uncovered the potential restorative advantages of saffron and its derivatives, in miRNA imbalances in a variety of diseases.