Therapeutic potential of active components of saffron in post-surgical adhesion band formation

Background Abdominal adhesions are common and often develop after abdominal surgery. There are currently no useful targeted pharmacotherapies for adhesive disease. Saffron and its active constituents, Crocin and Crocetin, are wildly used in traditional medicine for alleviating the severity of inflammatory or malignant disease. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of the pharmacological active component of saffron in attenuating the formation of post-operative adhesion bands using different administration methods in a murine model. Material method saffron extract (100 mg/kg), Crocin (100 mg/kg), and Crocetin (100 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally and by gavage in various groups of male Wistar rat post-surgery. Also three groups were first treated intra-peritoneally by saffron extract, Crocin, and Crocetin (100 mg/kg) for 10 days and then had surgery. At the end of the experiments, animals sacrificed for biological assessment. Result A hydro-alcoholic extract of saffron and crocin but not crocetin potently reduced the adhesion band frequency in treatment and pre-treatment groups in the mice given intra-peritoneal (i.p) injections. Following the saffron or crocin administration, histological evaluation and quantitative analysis represented less inflammatory cell infiltration and less collagen composition, compared to control group. Moreover, the oxidative stress was significantly reduced in treatment groups. Conclusion These findings suggest that a hydro-alcoholic extract of saffron or its active compound, crocin, is a potentially novel therapeutic strategy for the prevention of adhesions formation and might be used as beneficial anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrosis agents in clinical trials. Taxonomy Abdominal surgeries/post-surgical adhesions

Biomarker-based validation of a food frequency questionnaire for the assessment of omega-3 fatty acid status in a healthy Iranian population

Abstract There is no valid instrument to assess n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) intake in Iran. This study aims to develop a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that estimates the intake of n-3 PUFA and validate it in a healthy Iranian population based on the n-3 PUFA content of red blood cells (RBCs) and a 3-day food record (FR). A healthy population (n = 221) was recruited between February and July 2021. Participants completed the new FFQ and 3-day FR to evaluate the average intake of n-3 PUFAs. We used gas chromatography to assess the n-3 PUFA content of RBCs. To validate the FFQ based on FR and biomarker as references, the correlation coefficient was calculated. According to the Bland–Altman plots, a good agreement was found between the new FFQ and FR. Moreover, absolute intake values of ALA, EPA, DPA, DHA, and total n-3 PUFAs based on FFQ were positively correlated to their respective RBC membrane levels (coefficients between 0.205 and 0.508, p < 0.005) and FR (coefficients between 0.771 and 0.827, p < 0.001). This new FFQ is a valid instrument that can be applied to estimate the n-3 PUFA status of healthy Iranian adults

Chapter 15 - The psychopharmacology of saffron, a plant with putative antidepressant and neuroprotective properties

The dried stigma of the plant Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae), commonly known as saffron, is used as a food spice and in folk medicine for various purposes. Of over 150 phytochemicals present in saffron, crocetin, a carotenoid precursor of the carotenoid crocin, is the primary bioactive metabolite and responsible for saffron's characteristic color. Other relevant bioactive components are picrocrocin and safranal. Saffron flower tepals and stigmas also contain flavonoids and anthocyanins. Potential therapeutic applications of saffron and its compounds have been investigated in in vitro and in vivo studies, reporting several properties including immunoregulatory, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective, antiatherogenic, antibacterial, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antidepressant, anxiolytic, and neuroprotective activities. The therapeutic effects of saffron and its extracts have also been studied clinically. The most researched clinical applications relate to mental health, with current evidence suggesting benefits in the treatment of depression and degenerative disorders of the central nervous system