Facts About Saffron You Didn't Know

Facts About Saffron You Didn't Know

Saffron's name

source of saffron is unknown, it apparently originated in the area of Iran, Turkey and Greece, but now it is also successfully cultivated in such European countries as Spain, Italy, France and Switzerland, as well as in Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. While the world's total annual saffron production is estimated to be 190 tons, Iran produces about 90% of the total with a commercial cost. The main reason for its great cost is that saffron is still cultivated and harvested as it has been for millennia by hand. Saffron's name is derived from the Arab word for yellow, a name reflecting the high concentration of carotenoid pigments present in the saffron flowers’ stigmas which contribute most to the color profile of this spice

Saffron: A potential drug-supplement for (COVID):

Saffron has been used for centuries to treat fever, bronchitis, cold and other immune, respiratory disorders.?As a nutraceutical or drug supplement, it can alleviate the magnitude of COVID-19 symptoms in patients. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other medicinal properties attributed to saffron bioactive compounds can help in both pre-and post-infection management strategies. The abnormalities associated with COVID-19 survivors include anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Saffron can help manage these post-hospitalization abnormalities (sub-acute and chronic) too, owing to its anti-depressant property. It can help common people boost immunity and manage depression, stress and anxiety caused due to prolonged lockdown, isolation or quarantine.

Anticarcinogenic effect of saffron and its ingredients

Saffron contains more than 150 volatile, non-volatile and aroma-yielding compounds which consist of lipophilic and hydrophilic carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, minerals, musilage, vitamins (especially riboflavin and thiamine) and pigments including crocin, anthocianin, carotene, lycopene, zigzantin, flavonoids, starch, gums and other chemical compounds. Ingredients of saffron can be stored under -20°C and pharmacological activities as a supplement remain unaltered for at least 2 years or even longer.

Biomedical findings have been demonstrated that saffron and its ingredients may be useful as a treatment for neurodegenerative disorders and related memory impairment, ischemic retinopathy and/or age-related macular degeneration, coronary artery disease, blood pressure abnormalities, acute and/or chronic inflammatory disease, mild to moderate depression, seizure, Perkinsonism. Furthermore, antioxidant, antimutagenic, antigenotoxic, tumoricidal and antioxidant activity of saffron and its ingredient have been found

Saffron During Pregnancy

Exposure to saffron may increase the risk of miscarriage. Hence, it is suggested that pregnant women avoid contact with considerable amounts of saffron especially for female farmers working in saffron field.

Saffron: As an Antidepressant

One of the top five most predominant diseases worldwide is depression and one of the most established findings regarding the benefits of saffron is its antidepressant activity. There are clinical trials conducted, evaluating the efficacy of saffron in mild-to-moderate depression. The studies reported that saffron was more effective than placebo and at least equivalent to the therapeutic doses of imipramine and fluoxetine.

References:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07068

https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-8490.128963

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102659-5.00043-4

increased Miscarriage Rate in Female Farmers Working in Saffron Fields: A

Possible Effect of Saffron Toxicity

https://doi.org/10.4103/JPBS.JPBS_83_18