How does saffron help in improving your health?

-Binayak Das, Team bioXone

The medicinal worth of saffron (C. sativus L) has been widely acknowledged in the preparation of herbal-based medicine, over many years. Modern-day science has successfully found out that some of its key components, namely crocin, crocetin, safranal, and picrocin, are responsible for imparting it, its curative nature. The spice has been found to depict antioxidant, anticancer, and antidepressant qualities, which in some cases has even led to health professionals in recommending it as an additive in combined-medicine treatments to their patients. A study considering Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) has shown that when saffron was combined with vitamin D3 or electromagnetic radiations, the ability of the MSCs to develop into bone tissue, by a process known as osteogenesis, got significantly enhanced. 

In this study, the authors tried to find the effects of crocin and/or crocetin, on the adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs), in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). They found that low concentrations of both these components led to decreased chances of programmed cell deaths by decreasing inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, increased cell health, increased immunological control by promoting the availability of T cells, and by improving antioxidant presence, specifically in crocin treated cells. Crocin, at low doses, enhances cell proliferation and increases the antioxidant power of spermatogenesis stem cells. Both the components have been found to promote the production of molecules like glutathione, which are key in combatting reactive oxygen species. 

The scenario observed under high concentrations of the duo were very different, as increased dosages gave rise to their cytotoxic nature. Interestingly, the ability of crocetin to inhibit cell proliferation at higher doses has been utilized to stop the growth of cancer cells in many experiments.

Overall, both crocin and crocetin can prove to be quite beneficial as they protect and promote the existence of MSCs, but only under very low concentrations. 

Source: Yousefi F, Arab FL, Rastin M, Tabasi NS, Nikkhah K, Mahmoudi M. Comparative assessment of immunomodulatory, proliferative, and antioxidant activities of crocin and crocetin on mesenchymal stem cells. J Cell Biochem. 2020;1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcb.29826

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