| radical scavenging activity and lc-ms metabolic profiling of petals, stamens, and flowers of crocus sativus l. | radical scavenging activities of crocus sativus petals, stamens and entire flowers, which are waste products in the production of the spice saffron, by employing abts radical scavenging method, were determined. at the same time, the metabolic profiles of different extract (obtained by petals, stamens and flowers) were obtained by lc-esi-it ms (liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry equipped with ion trap analyser). lc-esi-ms is a techniques largely used nowadays for qu ... | 2012 | 22809329 |
| effect of aqueous extract of crocus sativus l. (saffron) stigma against subacute effect of diazinon on specific biomarkers in rats. | in this study, the effect of aqueous extract of crocus sativus l. (saffron) stigma was studied against subacute toxicity of diazinon (dzn) on specific biochemical markers in rats. vitamin e (200 iu/kg) and the aqueous extract of saffron at doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg were injected intraperitoneally three times per week alone or with dzn (20 mg/kg/day, orally) for 4 weeks. red blood cell (rbc) cholinesterase activity was inhibited by dzn and this effect was not affected by vitamin e or saffron pl ... | 2014 | 22782707 |
| effect of saffron on fluoxetine-induced sexual impairment in men: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. | saffron (crocus sativus l.) has shown aphrodisiac effects in some animal and human studies. | 2012 | 22552758 |
| isolation of a centroradialis/terminal flower1 homolog in saffron (crocus sativus l.): characterization and expression analysis. | genes in the phosphatidyl-ethanolamine-binding protein (pebp) family are instrumental in regulating the fate of meristems and flowering time. to investigate the role of these genes in the monocotyledonous plant crocus (crocus sativus l), an industrially important crop cultivated for its nutritional and medicinal properties, we have cloned and characterized a centroradialis/terminal flower1 (cen/tfl1) like gene, named csatcen/tfl1-like, the first reported cen/tfl1 gene characterized from such a p ... | 2012 | 22535321 |
| evaluation of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of saffron, crocus sativus l., and its constituents, safranal and crocin in allodynia and hyperalgesia induced by chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain in rats. | the current study was designed to evaluate therapeutic potential of systemically administered ethanolic and aqueous extracts of saffron as well as its bioactive ingredients, safranal and crocin, in chronic constriction injury (cci)-induced neuropathic pain in rats. the von frey filaments, acetone drop, and radiant heat test were performed to assess the degree of mechanical allodynia, thermal allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia respectively, at different time intervals, i.e., one day before surger ... | 2012 | 22484092 |
| crocetin, a carotenoid derivative, inhibits vegf-induced angiogenesis via suppression of p38 phosphorylation. | we evaluated the protective effects of crocetin against angiogenesis induced by vascular endothelial growth factor (vegf). crocetin, the aglycone of crocin carotenoids, is found in saffron crocus (crocus sativus l.) and gardenia fruit (gardenia jasminoides ellis). the effects of crocetin on vegf-induced angiogenesis were examined by in vitro tube formation assays and following 14-day co-culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (huvecs) and fibroblasts. the anti-angiogenic mechanism of c ... | 2012 | 22475394 |
| quantification of main bioactive metabolites from saffron (crocus sativus) stigmas by a micellar electrokinetic chromatographic (mekc) method. | saffron is an expensive spice, cultivated in many regions of the world. its chief metabolites include crocins, which are responsible for the coloring ability, safranal, which is the main essential oil constituent, and picrocrocin which is the main bitter constituent of the spice. a simple micellar capillary electrochromatographic (mekc) method capable of quantifying all three types of main constituents was established. the ph, sodium dodecyl sulphate (sds) content and electrolyte concentration o ... | 2012 | 22464563 |
| recovery of crocins from saffron stigmas (crocus sativus) in aqueous two-phase systems. | crocins are carotenoid derivates that have recently attracted the interest of the scientific community due to their nutraceutical properties. saffron (dry crocus sativus stigmas) is one of the main known sources of crocins. in this study the potential use of aqueous two-phase system (atps) for the extraction of crocins from c. sativus stigmas was evaluated. the partitioning behavior of crocins in different types of atps (polymer-polymer, polymer-salt, alcohol-salt and ionic liquid-salt) was eval ... | 2012 | 22463999 |
| an evidence-based systematic review of saffron (crocus sativus) by the natural standard research collaboration. | an evidence-based systematic review including written and statistical analysis of scientific literature, expert opinion, folkloric precedent, history, pharmacology, kinetics/dynamics, interactions, adverse effects, toxicology, and dosing. | 2011 | 22432635 |
| comparison of different tandem mass spectrometric techniques (esi-it, esi- and ip-maldi-qrtof and vmaldi-tof/rtof) for the analysis of crocins and picrocrocin from the stigmas of crocus sativus l. | the expensive spice saffron originating from the stigmas of crocus sativus l. and also applied in traditional chinese medicine (tcm) constitutes a complex mixture of glycoconjugates varying not only in the aglycon structure, but also in glycosylation pattern. therefore, various tandem mass spectrometric techniques were evaluated for their usefulness in structural elucidation. | 2012 | 22328221 |
| identification and possible role of a myb transcription factor from saffron (crocus sativus). | the myb family is the most abundant group of transcription factors described for plants. plant myb genes have been shown to be involved in the regulation of many aspects of plant development. no myb genes are described for saffron, the dried stigma of crocus sativus, utilized as a colorant for foodstuffs. in this study, we used race-pcr to isolate a full length cdna of 894bp with a 591bp open reading frame, encoding a putative csmyb1 from c. sativus. comparison between gdna and cdna revealed no ... | 2012 | 22297127 |
| identification of differentially accumulated proteins associated with embryogenic and non-embryogenic calli in saffron (crocus sativus l.). | somatic embryogenesis (se) is a complex biological process that occurs under inductive conditions and causes fully differentiated cells to be reprogrammed to an embryo like state. in order to get a better insight about molecular basis of the se in crocus sativus l. and to characterize differentially accumulated proteins during the process, a proteomic study based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry has been carri ... | 2012 | 22243837 |
| electrocardiogram alterations following one-week consumption of crocus sativus l. (saffron). | considering the global popularity and also the various biological and medicinal properties of saffron, this study was conducted to assess the influence of its aqueous extracts administration on blood pressure, pressure-rate product (prp) and electrocardiogram (ecg) indices of rat. animals were divided to control (ctl), saf50, saf100, and saf200 groups that orally received tap water, aqueous extracts of saffron 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day respectively for seven days. on day 8, data were recorded. d ... | 2012 | 27418921 |
| saffron (crocus sativus l.) extract prevents and improves d-galactose and nano2 induced memory impairment in mice. | this study was conducted to examine the effects of saffron extract on preventing d-galactose and nano2 induced memory impairment and improving learning and memory deficits in amnestic mice. in this study, the learning and memory functions in ovariectomized mice were examined by the one way passive and active avoidance tests. in active avoidance test, training in amnestic treated (at) and amnestic prophylaxis (ap) groups, was improved so that there was a significant difference between them and th ... | 2012 | 27418908 |
| saponins from the spanish saffron crocus sativus are efficient adjuvants for protein-based vaccines. | protein and peptide-based vaccines provide rigorously formulated antigens. however, these purified products are only weakly immunogenic by themselves and therefore require the addition of immunostimulatory components or adjuvants in the vaccine formulation. various compounds derived from pathogens, minerals or plants, possess pro-inflammatory properties which allow them to act as adjuvants and contribute to the induction of an effective immune response. the results presented here demonstrate the ... | 2012 | 22079266 |
| developmental and stress regulation of gene expression for a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, cstnced, isolated from crocus sativus stigmas. | oxidative cleavage of cis-epoxycarotenoids by 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (nced) is the critical step in the regulation of abscisic acid (aba) synthesis in higher plants. aba has been associated with dormancy and flower senescence, while also regulating plant adaptive responses to various environmental stresses. an nced gene, cstnced, was cloned from crocus sativus stigmas. the deduced amino acid sequence of the cstnced protein shared high identity with other monocot nceds, and was closely ... | 2012 | 22048040 |
| improvement of cytotoxic and apoptogenic properties of crocin in cancer cell lines by its nanoliposomal form. | saffron crocus sativus l. (iridaceae) is known for anticancer properties. however, limited effort has been made to correlate these effects to the active ingredients of saffron. in the present study, cytotoxic effects of crocin, the major coloring compound in saffron, and its nanoliposomal form for better cellular delivery are investigated. | 2011 | 21936628 |
| geographical origin differentiation of saffron spice (crocus sativus l. stigmas) - preliminary investigation using chemical and multi-element (h, c, n) stable isotope analysis. | a preliminary study of the bulk hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope composition of 28 authentic saffron samples produced from crocus sativus l. cultivated in the typical production areas of western macedonia in greece (8), khorasan province in iran (7), sardinia in italy (6) and castilla-la mancha in spain (7) is described. a chemical characterisation of 16 key quality parameters was also completed on the same samples by uv-vis, hplc and gc analyses. multivariate analysis of the data re ... | 2011 | 25212167 |
| chemical constituents and bioactivities of the liposoluble fraction from different medicinal parts of crocus sativus. | crocus sativus linn. (iridaceae), commonly known as saffron, becomes more and more popular due to its versatile biological and medicinal properties. at present, studies mainly focus on the traditional medicinal part, the saffron stigma, with less attention to the other parts of saffron, such as the perianth, the stamen, and the corm, which are high yield compared to the stigma and also possess various pharmacological effects. | 2011 | 21639689 |
| the study of the e-class sepallata3-like mads-box genes in wild-type and mutant flowers of cultivated saffron crocus (crocus sativus l.) and its putative progenitors. | to further understand flowering and flower organ formation in the monocot crop saffron crocus (crocus sativus l.), we cloned four mikc(c) type ii mads-box cdna sequences of the e-class sepallata3 (sep3) subfamily designated csatsep3a/b/c/c_as as well as the three respective genomic sequences. sequence analysis showed that cdna sequences of csatsep3 c and c_as are the products of alternative splicing of the csatsep3c gene. bioinformatics analysis with putative orthologous sequences from various p ... | 2011 | 21621873 |
| conception in unilateral right tubal blockage with herbomineral formulations: a case report. | infertility is a state of inability to conceive after unprotected intercourse for 1 year; it involves 1 in 6 couples in england. it is a complex problem with an incidence of 10%-15% and of these, 14% of infertilities are due to a tubal factor. the incidence of unilateral tubal blockage is 33%. pregnancy can occur in unilateral tubal blockage. in the unani system of medicine, many herbal drugs are used empirically for enhancing fertility. this case report was an effort to understand the role of u ... | 2011 | 21574821 |
| immunomodulatory effects of saffron: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. | saffron is the dried stigmata of the flowers of saffron (crocus sativus l.). saffron is rich in carotenoids and carotenoids affect immunity. thus, in this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial with healthy men aged 21.4 ± 0.8 years (mean ± se), the effects of taking one 100 mg saffron tablet daily for 6 weeks on the blood serum levels of igg, igm, iga, c(3) and c(4) complements, counts and percentages of white blood cells, platelets, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymph ... | 2011 | 21480412 |
| determination of some phenolic compounds in crocus sativus l. corms and its antioxidant activities study. | it is well known that phenolic compounds are constituents of many plants. in this study, the total phenolics content in crocus sativus l. corms in dormancy and waking stages were determined by the folin-ciocalteu method. analysis was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (gc-ms) after silylation by n-methyl-n-trimethylsilyl trifluroacetamide (mstfa) + %1 trimethyl iodosilane (tmis). numerous compounds were detected and 11 compounds were identified. the highest phenolics content in ... | 2011 | 21472084 |
| crocetin: an agent derived from saffron for prevention and therapy for cancer. | cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the united states and accounts for approximately 8 million deaths per year worldwide. although there is an increasing number of therapeutic options available for patients with cancer, their efficacy is time-limited and non-curative. approximately 50-60% cancer patients in the united states utilize agents derived from different parts of plants or nutrients (complementary and alternative medicine), exclusively or concurrently with traditional therape ... | 2012 | 21466430 |
| psychological and neuroendocrinological effects of odor of saffron (crocus sativus). | the purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of saffron odor on symptoms unique to women, such as premenstrual syndrome (pms), dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain) and irregular menstruation. | 2011 | 21242071 |
| herbal treatments for alleviating premenstrual symptoms: a systematic review. | premenstrual syndrome (pms) is a condition of cyclical and recurrent physical and psychological discomfort occurring 1 to 2 weeks before menstrual period. more severe psychological symptoms have been described for the premenstrual dysphoric disorder (pmdd). no single treatment is universally recognised as effective and many patients often turn to therapeutic approaches outside of conventional medicine. this systematic review is aimed at analysing the effects of herb remedies in the above conditi ... | 2011 | 21171936 |
| picrocrocin kinetics in aqueous saffron spice extracts (crocus sativus l.) upon thermal treatment. | the kinetics of picrocrocin degradation in aqueous extracts of saffron upon thermal treatment from 5 to 70 °c have been studied, together with the degradation of purified picrocrocin in water at 100 °c. the best fits to experimental data were found for a second-order kinetics model. picrocrocin showed high stability with half-life periods (t(1/2)) ranging from >3400 h at 5 °c in saffron extracts to 9 h in the experiments with purified picrocrocin at 100 °c. in saffron extracts, the evolution of ... | 2011 | 21141822 |
| in vitro development of microcorms and stigma like structures in saffron (crocus sativus l.). | saffron is an important spice derived from the stigmas of crocus sativus, a species belonging to the family iridaceae. due to its triploid nature it is sterile and is not able to set seeds, so it is propagated only by corms. the natural propagation rate of most geophytes including saffron is relatively low. an in vitro multiplication technique like micropropagation has been used for the propagation of saffron. in the present study, various explants were cultured on different nutrient media suppl ... | 2010 | 23572987 |
| evaluation of crocus sativus l. stigma phenolic and flavonoid compounds and its antioxidant activity. | saffron (crocus sativus l.) belongs to the iridaceae family. the stigma of saffron has been widely used as spice, medicinal plant, and food additive in the mediterranean and subtropical countries. recently, attention has been paid to the identification of new sources of safe natural antioxidants for the food industry. the antioxidant activities of spices are mainly attributed to their phenolic and flavonoid compounds. saffron is one of the spices believed to possess antioxidant properties, but i ... | 2010 | 20877220 |
| new applications and mechanisms of action of saffron and its important ingredients. | saffron (crocus sativus l.) has been an important subject of interest for research teams in the past two decades because of its various biological properties. chemical analysis has shown the presence of more than 150 components in saffron stigmas. here, we review the medicinal and industrial applications of saffron. then, the new findings from different research groups about its medicinal properties and various cellular and molecular mechanisms of action will be discussed. the methods used for t ... | 2010 | 20830635 |
| a prospective double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of saffron (crocus sativus linn.) on semen parameters and seminal plasma antioxidant capacity in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. | male factor infertility is a multifactorial disorder that affects a significant percentage of infertile couples; however, many of them remained untreated. in recent years, considerable numbers of infertile men have sought 'herbal remedies' as an effective treatment. among 'herbal remedies', saffron is recommended for male infertility in our community. the effect of saffron was evaluated compared with placebo for the treatment of idiopathic male factor infertility. the study included 260 infertil ... | 2011 | 20824894 |
| genomic analysis and gene structure of the plant carotenoid dioxygenase 4 family: a deeper study in crocus sativus and its allies. | the plastoglobule-targeted enzyme carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (ccd4) mediates the formation of volatile c13 ketones, such as β-ionone, by cleaving the c9-c10 and c9'-c10' double bonds of cyclic carotenoids. here, we report the isolation and analysis of ccd4 genomic dna regions in crocus sativus. different ccd4 alleles have been identified: csccd4a which is found with and without an intron and csccd4b that showed the presence of a unique intron. the presence of different ccd4 alleles was also ... | 2010 | 20633636 |
| famrca-race: a rolling circle amplification race for isolating a family of homologous cdnas in one reaction and its application to obtain nac genes transcription factors from crocus (crocus sativus) flower. | we describe an improvement of the rca-race (rolling circle amplification-rapid amplification of cdna ends) method, called family rca-race (famrca-race). the method is based on the generation of circular cdna fragments, followed by rolling circle amplification of the circular cdna using phi29 dna polymerase and the application of pcr using degenerate outworking primers, designed for a conserved region of homologous genes, that allows the isolation of homologous cdna sequences expressed in the mrn ... | 2010 | 20623429 |
| extraction of crocin from saffron (crocus sativus) using molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction. | a new molecularly imprinted polymer for extraction of crocin from saffron stigmas was prepared using gentiobiose (a glycoside moiety in crocin structure) as a template. crocin binding to gentiobiose imprinted polymer (gent-mip) was studied in comparison with a blank nonimprinted polymer in aqueous media. affinity of the gent-mip for the crocin was more than the nonimprinted polymer at all concentrations. in scatchard analysis, the number of binding sites in each gram of polymer (maximum binding ... | 2010 | 20589782 |
| crocus sativus l.: a comprehensive review. | crocus sativus l. belonging to the family iridaceae (syn - kesar) comprises the dried red stigma and is widely cultivated in iran and other countries such as india and greece. saffron contains more than 150 volatile and aroma-yielding compounds mainly terpenes, terpene alcohol, and their esters. the bitter taste and an iodoform or hay-like fragrance are caused by chemicals picrocrocin and safranal. c. sativus possesses a number of medicinally important activities such as antihypertensive, antico ... | 2010 | 22228962 |
| botany, taxonomy and cytology of crocus sativus series. | saffron is produced from the dried styles of crocus sativus l. (iridaceae) which is unknown as wild plant, representing a sterile triploid. these belong to subgenus crocus series crocus sativus - series are closely related species; and are difficult to be separated taxonomically and have a complex cytology. botany of c. sativus - series, taxonomy of their species and their infraspecific taxa are presented, and their distribution, ecology and phenology; full description and chromosome counts are ... | 2010 | 22131743 |
| satiereal, a crocus sativus l extract, reduces snacking and increases satiety in a randomized placebo-controlled study of mildly overweight, healthy women. | snacking is an uncontrolled eating behavior, predisposing weight gain and obesity. it primarily affects the female population and is frequently associated with stress. we hypothesized that oral supplementation with satiereal (inoreal ltd, plerin, france), a novel extract of saffron stigma, may reduce snacking and enhance satiety through its suggested mood-improving effect, and thus contribute to weight loss. healthy, mildly overweight women (n = 60) participated in this randomized, placebo-contr ... | 2010 | 20579522 |
| crocins transport in crocus sativus: the long road from a senescent stigma to a newborn corm. | saffron, the desiccated stigmas of crocus sativus, is highly appreciated by its peculiar colour, flavour and aroma. the main compounds that accumulated throughout stigma development in c. sativus are crocetin, its glucoside derivatives, crocins, and picrocrocin, all of which increased as stigmas reached a fully developed stage. after anthesis, and in the absence of fertilization, the flower enters in a senescence programme, which represents the ultimate stage of floral development and results in ... | 2010 | 20573363 |
| an open label, randomized, fixed-dose, crossover study comparing efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate and saffron (crocus sativus linn.) for treating erectile dysfunction in men naïve to treatment. | saffron (crocus sativus linn.) have been perceived by the public as a strong aphrodisiac herbal product. however, studies addressing the potential beneficial effects of saffron on erectile function (ef) in men with ed are lacking. our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of saffron administration on ef in men with ed. after a 4-week baseline assessment, 346 men with ed (mean age 46.6+/-8.4 years) were randomized to receive on-demand sildenafil for 12 weeks followed by 30 mg saffron twice ... | 2015 | 20520621 |
| quantification of crocetin esters in saffron (crocus sativus l.) using raman spectroscopy and chemometrics. | the feasibility of raman spectroscopy for predicting the content of crocetin esters (crocins), and coloring strength was assessed. 114 samples from greece, iran, italy and spain were divided into two sets: a calibration set with 49 samples and a validation one with 65 samples. calibration models for crocetin esters (r 0.97, rmsec 0.92, rmsep 0.97, rpd 3.46) and coloring strength (r 0.95, rmsec 12.2, rmsep 11.3, rpd 2.59) were built in the spectral region 1700-955 cm(-1) using partial least-squar ... | 2010 | 20438079 |
| analysis of beta-carotene hydroxylase gene cdna isolated from the american oil-palm (elaeis oleifera) mesocarp tissue cdna library. | it is well known that the nutritional quality of the american oil-palm (elaeis oleifera) mesocarp oil is superior to that of african oil-palm (elaeis guineensis jacq. tenera) mesocarp oil. therefore, it is of important to identify the genetic features for its superior value. this could be achieved through the genome sequencing of the oil-palm. however, the genome sequence is not available in the public domain due to commercial secrecy. hence, we constructed a cdna library and generated expressed ... | 2010 | 21364789 |
| picrocrocin content and quality categories in different (345) worldwide samples of saffron ( crocus sativus l.). | in this paper, 345 saffron samples were analyzed from different countries to study their picrocrocin content using different analytical techniques. the e1cm 1% of 257 nm results from all samples are inflated in comparison by the high-performance liquid chromatography (hplc) data, because of the interferences with the crocetin ester pool and especially with those with a lower trans/cis relation. a picrocrocin range update is proposed for international organization for standardization (iso) 3632 n ... | 2010 | 20028014 |
| a 22-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind controlled trial of crocus sativus in the treatment of mild-to-moderate alzheimer's disease. | there is increasing evidence to suggest the possible efficacy of crocus sativus (saffron) in the management of alzheimer's disease (ad). | 2010 | 19838862 |
| saffron yellow: characterization of carotenoids by high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray mass spectrometric detection. | saffron is one of the oldest natural dyestuffs and is obtained from the dried stigmata of crocus sativus l. nowadays, saffron is considered as an invaluable spice of golden-yellow hue, a precious ingredient in the eastern and mediterranean cuisines. it is characterized by a bitter taste that is caused by the chemical properties of its constituents. the yellowness of saffron results from the presence of crocins (glycosyl esters of crocetin), its main color compounds, which are examined in the pre ... | 2009 | 19821449 |
| antidepressant properties of bioactive fractions from the extract of crocus sativus l. | the aim of this study was to investigate the antidepressant properties of stigmas and corms of crocus sativus l. the aqueous ethanol extract of c. sativus corms was fractionated on the basis of polarity. among the different fractions, the petroleum ether fraction and dichloromethane fraction at doses of 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg showed significant antidepressant-like activities in dose-dependent manners, by means of behavioral models of depression. the immobility time in the forced swimming test a ... | 2010 | 19787421 |
| saffron is a monomorphic species as revealed by rapd, issr and microsatellite analyses. | saffron (crocus sativus) is considered the world's most expensive spice. used mainly as a colorant for foodstuffs, it is highly appreciated for its aromatic and flavouring properties. since no molecular markers for this species have been found in the literature, the objective of this study was to determine whether phenotypical differences found in c. sativus were supported by molecular analyses. | 2009 | 19772674 |
| the expression of a chromoplast-specific lycopene beta cyclase gene is involved in the high production of saffron's apocarotenoid precursors. | crocus sativus is a triploid sterile plant characterized by its long red stigmas, which produce and store significant quantities of carotenoid derivatives formed from the oxidative cleavage of beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. the present study reports on the genomic structures of two lycopene-beta-cyclase genes, cstlcyb1 and cstlcyb2a, and on their transcription patterns in different c. sativus tissues. phylogenetic analysis showed that both proteins are located in different groups: cstlcyb2a encod ... | 2010 | 19767307 |
| rolling circle amplification of genomic templates for inverse pcr (rca-gip): a method for 5'- and 3'-genome walking without anchoring. | we have devised an improved method of genome walking, named rolling circle amplification of genomic templates for inverse pcr (rca-gip). the method is based on the generation of circular genomic dna fragments, followed by rolling circle amplification of the circular genomic dna using phi29 dna polymerase without need for attachment of anchor sequences. in this way from the circular genomic dna fragments, after rca amplification, a large amount of linear concatemers is generated suitable for inve ... | 2010 | 19760115 |
| cloning and characterization of a glucosyltransferase from crocus sativus stigmas involved in flavonoid glucosylation. | flavonol glucosides constitute the second group of secondary metabolites that accumulate in crocus sativus stigmas. to date there are no reports of functionally characterized flavonoid glucosyltransferases in c. sativus, despite the importance of these compounds as antioxidant agents. moreover, their bitter taste makes them excellent candidates for consideration as potential organoleptic agents of saffron spice, the dry stigmas of c. sativus. | 2009 | 19695093 |
| metabolite and target transcript analyses during crocus sativus stigma development. | saffron, the desiccated stigmas of crocus sativus, is highly appreciated for its peculiar colour, flavour and aroma. several studies have been conducted with the spice, but little is known about the evolution of volatile and non-volatile compounds generated during the development of the stigma. in this study, we have followed these compounds, with special attention to those of isoprenoid origin (carotenoids and monoterpenes), which are responsible for the organoleptic properties of saffron. the ... | 2009 | 19473679 |
| role of caspases and bax protein in saffron-induced apoptosis in mcf-7 cells. | saffron (crocus sativus), widely used as a spice in middle eastern cuisine and is known for anti-cancer properties. the mechanism of saffron-induced cytotoxicity, in tumor cells has not been adequately explored. therefore, we investigated the role of caspases and bax protein in saffron-induced apoptosis in mcf-7 cells, a commonly used cell culture system for in vitro studies on breast cancer. cells were incubated with different concentrations of saffron extract. cell viability was quantitated by ... | 2009 | 19457443 |
| evaluation of crocus sativus l. (saffron) on male erectile dysfunction: a pilot study. | in this study, the effect of crocus sativus (saffron) was studied on male erectile dysfunction (ed). twenty male patients with ed were followed for ten days in which each morning they took a tablet containing 200mg of saffron. patients underwent the nocturnal penile tumescence (npt) test and the international index of erectile function questionnaire (iief-15) at the start of the treatment and at the end of the ten days. after the ten days of taking saffron there was a statistically significant i ... | 2009 | 19427775 |
| an overview of structural features of dna and rna complexes with saffron compounds: models and antioxidant activity. | saffron is the red dried stigmas of crocus sativus l. flowers and used both as a spice and as a drug in traditional medicine. its numerous applications as an antioxidant and anticancer agent are due to its secondary metabolites and their derivatives (safranal, crocetin, dimethylcrocetin). in this work we are comparing the spectroscopic results and antioxidant activities of saffron components safranal, crocetin (crt) and dimethylcrocetin (dmcrt) complexes with calf-thymus dna (ctdna) and transfer ... | 2009 | 19395270 |
| total phenolic content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of some medicinal plants. | crude extracts from inula aucherana, fumaria officinalis, crocus sativus, vicum album, tribulus terestris, polygonatum multiflorum, alkanna tinctoria and taraxacum officinale were screened for their in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. total phenolic content of extracts from these plants were also determined. beta-carotene bleaching assay and folin-ciocalteu reagent were used to determine total antioxidant activity and total phenols of plant extracts. antimicrobial activity was det ... | 2009 | 19168430 |
| effect of saffron on semen parameters of infertile men. | we conducted this study to determine the effects of saffron (crocus sativus) on the results of semen analysis in men with idiopathic infertility. | 2008 | 19101900 |
| effects of different concentrations of 2,4-d and bap on somatic embryogenesis induction in saffron (crocus sativus l.). | to optimize an in vitro protocol for propagation of saffron through somatic embryogenesis, effects of various concentrations of 2,4-d ( 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mg l(-1)) in combination with bap (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mg l(-1)) were studied. surface-sterilized corms were cut transversally into equal portions and the upper or lower parts were used separately as explants. all treatments were maintained in the darkness at 24 +/- 2 degrees c. after 70 days, the first globular embryos were o ... | 2007 | 19090256 |
| interaction of safranal and picrocrocin with ctdna and their preferential mechanisms of binding to gc- and at-rich oligonucleotides. | saffron (crocus sativus l.) shows different biological properties, some of which relate to its special components including safranal (deglycosylated picrocrocin). in our previous study on the mechanism of saffron functions, interaction of saffron carotenoids with dna and oligonucleotides was reported. the present study aimed to investigate the interaction of safranal with calf thymus dna (ctdna), oligo(gc)15, and oligo(at)15 in comparison with picrocrocin. circular dichroism (cd) and fluorometri ... | 2008 | 19040376 |
| safety evaluation of saffron (crocus sativus) tablets in healthy volunteers. | saffron (crocus sativus) stigma tablets were evaluated for short-term safety and tolerability in healthy adult volunteers. the study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled design consisting of a 1 week treatment of saffron tablets. volunteers were divided into 3 groups of 10 each (5 males and 5 females). group i received placebo; groups 2 and 3 received 200 and 400mg saffron tablets, respectively, for 7 days. general measures of health were recorded during the study such as hematological, bioche ... | 2008 | 18693099 |
| effect of centrifugal ultrafiltration on the composition of aqueous extracts of saffron spice (crocus sativus l.). | the purpose of this research was to study the effect of centrifugal ultrafiltration (uf) on the composition of aqueous extracts of saffron spice. the contents of seven crocetin esters, picrocrocin, and two kaempferol glycosides were analyzed by uv-vis and hplc in the filtrate and retentate fractions from 16 centrifugal filter devices with regenerated cellulose (rc) and polyethersulfone (pes) membranes ranging from 1-100 kda nominal molecular weight cutoff (mwco). the separation of crocetin ester ... | 2008 | 18620411 |
| quality and functionality of saffron: quality control, species assortment and affinity of extract and isolated saffron compounds to nmda and sigma1 (sigma-1) receptors. | extracts from saffron, the dried stigmata from crocus sativus l., are being used more and more in preclinical and clinical trials for the treatment of cancer and depression. because of the known quality problems of saffron, hplc methods on rp(18) 2.5 microm and monolithic rp(18) material have been developed and validated for quality control including the quantification of crocins 1 to 5, crocetin, picrocrocin and the degradation products, the cis-crocins. additionally, a gc-ms method has allowed ... | 2008 | 18496783 |
| rapid determination of crocetin esters and picrocrocin from saffron spice (crocus sativus l.) using uv-visible spectrophotometry for quality control. | the aim of this work was the development of multivariate models able to determine the content of the main crocetin esters and picrocrocin from spectrophotometric data that could be used for routine quality control of saffron. these compounds were determined with hplc in spanish saffron, and their absorbance spectra from 190 to 700 nm were simultaneously monitored. partial least-squares regression (plsr) models have been obtained and applied to the determination of individual crocetin esters, to ... | 2008 | 18407652 |
| lc-dad-ms (esi+) analysis and antioxidant capacity of crocus sativus petal extracts. | in this study, various fractions isolated from the petals of crocus sativus were assessed at first for their phenolic content both qualitatively and quantitatively and secondly for their antioxidant activity. the phytochemical analysis was carried out by lc-dad-ms (esi (+)) whereas the antioxidant potential was evaluated by applying two methodologies, the dpph. radical scavenging activity test and the co(ii)-induced luminol chemiluminescence procedure. according to data obtained from these antio ... | 2008 | 18401844 |
| t and b-cell epitopes prediction of iranian saffron (crocus sativus) profilin by bioinformatics tools. | plant profilins form a well-known panallergen family responsible for cross-sensitization between plant foods and pollens. we sought to map t and b-cell epitopes on the iranian crocus sativus profilin by bioinformatics tools. the predicted peptides are useful for further vaccine development. | 2008 | 18336358 |
| crocus sativus l. (saffron) in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: a double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled trial. | the aim of this double-blind and placebo-controlled trial was to investigate whether saffron (stigma of crocus sativus l.) could relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (pms). | 2008 | 18271889 |
| kinetics of individual crocetin ester degradation in aqueous extracts of saffron (crocus sativus l.) upon thermal treatment in the dark. | kinetics of individual crocetin ester degradation in aqueous extracts of saffron upon thermal treatment in the dark has been studied. special attention has been paid to the comparison between saffron extracts and aqueous solutions of a crocetin ester rich fraction, with a lower stability of the latter observed. the degradation reaction was the same for all crocetin esters whether they were in saffron extracts or whether they were purified, although it was affected by external factors that modifi ... | 2008 | 18237133 |
| specific igg antibodies (total and subclasses) against saffron pollen: a study of their correlation with specific ige and immediate skin reactions. | saffron (zaaferan), botanical name crocus sativus, is the most expensive spice in the world. it is derived from the dried stigma and pistil of the purple saffron crocus flowers. iran is the largest saffron producer accounting for more than 80% of the world's production. saffron contains an aeroallergen that causes reactive respiratory allergic reactions in atopic subjects. igg antibody to allergens in the serum of allergic patients is not routinely measured. in this study in order to find out mo ... | 2007 | 18094441 |
| kinetics properties of guaiacol peroxidase activity in crocus sativus l. corm during rooting. | guaiacol peroxidases (gp) are haem-containing enzymes participating in many physiological processes in plants. the expression pattern of these enzymes is organ-specific and developmentally regulated. | 2007 | 18051773 |
| an est database from saffron stigmas. | saffron (crocus sativus l., iridaceae) flowers have been used as a spice and medicinal plant ever since the greek-minoan civilization. the edible part - the stigmas - are commonly considered the most expensive spice in the world and are the site of a peculiar secondary metabolism, responsible for the characteristic color and flavor of saffron. | 2007 | 17925031 |
| saffron in phytotherapy: pharmacology and clinical uses. | saffron (stigmata of crocus sativus l.) has been used for medicinal purposes for millennia. throughout history, uses against cancer and depressive mood can regularly be identified. these applications have also been in the focus of modern research. promising and selective anti-cancer effects have been observed in vitro and in vivo, but not yet in clinical trials. antidepressant effects were found in vivo and in clinical pilot studies. saffron extracts thus have the potential to make a major contr ... | 2007 | 17704979 |
| cloning, structural characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of flower mads-box genes from crocus (crocus sativus l.). | crocus (crocus sativus l.) is a crop species cultivated for its flowers and, more specifically, for its red stigmas. the flower of crocus is bisexual and sterile, since crocus is a triploid species. its perianth consists of six petaloid tepals: three tepals in whorl 1 (outer tepals) and three tepals in whorl 2 (inner tepals). the androecium consists of three distinct stamens and the gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil with three carpels, a single three-branched style, and an inferior ... | 2007 | 17619787 |
| [molecular identity of crocus sativus and its misused substitutes by its sequence]. | to find the patterns of the rdna its sequence variation of crocus sativus, chrysanthemum chanetii, nelumbo nucifera, zea mays and garthamus tinctorius and to establish the molecular biological method for the identification of c. sativus and the others. | 2007 | 17608214 |
| herbal medicines in the treatment of psychiatric disorders: a systematic review. | this paper reports a critical review of 27 herbal medicines and formulas in treating a broad range of psychiatric disorders (in addition to anxiety and depression), including obsessive-compulsive, seasonal affective, bipolar depressive, psychotic, phobic and somatoform disorders. ovid medline, pubmed and the cochrane library were searched for pharmacological and clinical evidence of herbal medicines with psychotropic activity. a forward search of later citations was also conducted. whilst substa ... | 2007 | 17562566 |
| interaction of trna with safranal, crocetin, and dimethylcrocetin. | saffron is the red dried stigmas of crocus sativus l. flowers and used both as a spice and as a drug in traditional therapeutic. the biological activity of saffron in modern medicine is in development. its numerous applications as an anti-oxidant and anti-cancer agent are due to its secondary metabolites and their derivatives (safranal, crocins, crocetin, dimethylcrocetin). the aim of this study was to examine the interaction of transfer rna with safranal, crocetin, and dimethylcrocetin in aqueo ... | 2007 | 17508775 |
| effects of different hormonal treatments on the callus production and plantlet regeneration in saffron (crocus sativus l.). | saffron (crocus sativus l.) is one of valuable and native plants in the land of iran. by this investigation the best hormonal compositions for callus production from protoplast and for plantlet regeneration from callus were determined. to isolate protoplasts, the embryogenic calli were used. the embryogenic calli were immersed in enzymatic solution to degrade the cell walls. the treated mixture was filtered and then centrifuged at 100 g for 3-5 min and the resulted pellet was rinsed. after one s ... | 2007 | 19086508 |
| effect of ionic detergents, nonionic detergents, and chaotropic agents on polyphenol oxidase activity from dormant saffron (crocus sativus l.) corms. | polyphenol oxidase (ppo; ec 1.14.18.1) catalyzes the hydroxylation of monophenols to o-diphenols (cresolase activity) and the oxidation of o-diphenols to o-quinones (catecholase activity), leading to browning in plants and produce. further interest in the enzyme has been triggered by the active role that it plays in plant defense systems. ppo can be found in latent forms and is activated in vitro by various agents including urea, detergents, and proteases. the activation of ppo from several sour ... | 2007 | 17407318 |
| antioxidant enzymes during hypoxia-anoxia signaling events in crocus sativus l. corm. | the activity of reactive oxygen species (ros)-scavenging enzymes, catalase, superoxide dismutase (sod), glutathione peroxidase, o-dianisidine and ascorbate peroxidases, was investigated in crocus sativus l. corms cultivated in normoxic and hypoxic-anoxic conditions. the activity of the ros-scavenging enzymes studied varied during cultivation. however, the pattern of ros-scavenging enzymes production was different in corms cultivated in normoxic and hypoxic-anoxic conditions. in normoxic conditio ... | 2006 | 17341603 |
| phenolic glucosides and a gamma-lactone glucoside from the sprouts of crocus sativus. | two new phenolic glucosides, a new gamma-lactone glucoside, and adenosine were isolated from the sprouts of crocus sativus l. the new compounds were characterized as 2,4- dihydroxy-6-methoxyacetophenone-2beta-d-glucopyranoside, 2,3,4-trihydroxy-6-methoxyacetopenone-3-beta-d-glucopyranoside and 3-( s)-3-beta-d-glucopyranosyloxybutanolide, respectively. all structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence. | 1999 | 17260269 |
| comparison of petal of crocus sativus l. and fluoxetine in the treatment of depressed outpatients: a pilot double-blind randomized trial. | depression is one of the most common neuropsychiatric conditions, with a lifetime prevalence approaching 17%. although a variety of pharmaceutical agents is available for the treatment of depression, psychiatrists find that many patients cannot tolerate the side effects, do not respond adequately, or finally lose their response. on the other hand, many herbs with psychotropic effects have far fewer side effects. they can provide an alternative treatment or be used to enhance the effect of conven ... | 2007 | 17174460 |
| crocus sativus l. (petal) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. | depression is a major worldwide health problem. indeed, by 2020, depressive disorders are estimated to represent the second largest disease burden worldwide. although a variety of pharmaceutical agents are available for the treatment of depression, psychiatrists find that many patients cannot tolerate the side effects, do not respond adequately, or finally lose their response. our objective was to assess the efficacy of petal of crocus sativus in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression in a ... | 2006 | 16979327 |
| fusaric acid induces apoptosis in saffron root-tip cells: roles of caspase-like activity, cytochrome c, and h2o2. | programmed cell death (pcd), now known as apoptosis, is accompanied by specific morphological features. in this study, fusaric acid, a fusarium mycotoxin, was used to examine cell death in saffron (crocus sativus linnaeus) roots, using several apoptosis assays. our results show that moderate fa doses (50-100 microm) induce apoptotic features while high fa doses (> 200 microm) stimulate necrosis. the apoptotic-like features induced by moderate doses of fa include chromatin condensation, formation ... | 2006 | 16868776 |
| use of spme-gc-ms in the study of time evolution of the constituents of saffron aroma: modifications of the composition during storage. | the effect of storage on the composition of saffron aroma is studied. six samples of saffron from different areas of italy are analyzed by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. samples 1, 2, and 3 are derived from cultivations of crocus sativus in the zone of salerno (southern italy) from 2000 to 2002. samples 4, 5, and 6 are derived from cultivations in sardinia, italy (from 1998, 2000, and 2001, respectively). in all samples, 3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one; 3,5, ... | 2006 | 16599406 |
| comparative study of superoxide dismutase activity assays in crocus sativus l. corms. | superoxide dismutase catalyzes the breakdown of the superoxide radical anion and provides the first line of defense against oxygen toxicity. its vital importance has made it the subject of numerous investigations. several assays have been proposed for the detection and quantitation of superoxide dismutase activity, but their use has remained controversial and no comparative studies have been reported. in this investigation, three commonly used methods were compared for the measurement of superox ... | 2013 | 16521587 |
| crocetin esters, picrocrocin and its related compounds present in crocus sativus stigmas and gardenia jasminoides fruits. tentative identification of seven new compounds by lc-esi-ms. | crocetin esters present in saffron (crocus sativus l.) stigmas and in gardenia jasminoides ellis fruit are the compounds responsible for their color. of the fifteen crocetin esters identified in this study, five new compounds were tentatively identified: trans and cis isomers of crocetin (beta-d-triglucoside)-(beta-d-gentibiosyl) ester, trans and cis isomers of crocetin (beta-d-neapolitanose)-(beta-d-glucosyl) ester, and cis crocetin (beta-d-neapolitanose)-(beta-d-gentibiosyl) ester. the most re ... | 2006 | 16448211 |
| radical scavenging activity of crocus sativus l. extract and its bioactive constituents. | radical scavenging activity is involved in aging processes, antiinflammatory, anticancer and wound healing activity. hence, in the present study the dpph radical scavenging activity of a natural product that possesses biological properties, an extract of crocus sativus l. (saffron), grown in crocos, kozani (greece), and some of its bioactive constituents (crocin, safranal) was studied. it was shown that a methanol extract of crocus sativus exhibited high antioxidant activity, although it contain ... | 2005 | 16317646 |
| implications of carotenoid biosynthetic genes in apocarotenoid formation during the stigma development of crocus sativus and its closer relatives. | crocus sativus is a triploid sterile plant characterized by its long red stigmas, which produce and store significant quantities of the apocarotenoids crocetin and crocin, formed from the oxidative cleavage of zeaxanthin. here, we investigate the accumulation and the molecular mechanisms that regulate the synthesis of these apocarotenoids during stigma development in c. sativus. we cloned the cdnas for phytoene synthase, lycopene-beta-cyclase, and beta-ring hydroxylase from c. sativus. with the ... | 2005 | 16183835 |
| influence of different drying and aging conditions on saffron constituents. | a dehydration postharvesting treatment is necessary to convert crocus sativus l. stigmas into saffron spice. three different dehydration treatments were evaluated: dehydration at room temperature; dehydration with hot air at different temperatures (70, 90, and 110 degrees c); and dehydration following traditional processing in castille-la mancha (spain) with three different heating sources (vineshoot charcoal, gas cooker, and electric coil). the time (between 28 and 55 min) and mean temperature ... | 2005 | 15884826 |
| crocus sativus l. in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. | depression is a serious disorder in today's society, with estimates of lifetime prevalence as high as 21% of the general population in some developed countries. as a therapeutic plant, saffron is considered excellent for stomach ailments and as an antispasmodic, to help digestion and to increase appetite. it is also used for depression in persian traditional medicine. our objective was to assess the efficacy of the stigmas of crocus sativus (saffron) in the treatment of mild to moderate depressi ... | 2005 | 15852492 |
| hydro-alcoholic extract of crocus sativus l. versus fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized pilot trial. | depressive disorders are very common in clinical practice, with approximately 11.3 of all adults afflicted during any a year. saffron is the world's most expensive spice and apart from its traditional value as a food additive, recent studies indicate several therapeutic effects for saffron. it is used for depression in persian traditional medicine. our objective was to compare the efficacy of hydro-alcoholic extract of crocus sativus (stigma) with fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate ... | 2005 | 15707766 |
| hypoxia/anoxia as signaling for increased alcohol dehydrogenase activity in saffron (crocus sativus l.) corm. | alcohol dehydrogenase, nad-dependent lactate dehydrogenase, and nad-independent lactate dehydrogenase activities were investigated in corms cultivated in normoxic and hypoxic/anoxic conditions. depending on the developmental stage, hypoxia/anoxia was a signal for increase in either alcohol dehydrogenase or nad-dependent lactate dehydrogenase. nad-independent lactate dehydrogenase contributed to the recycling of lactate, thus preventing acidosis. | 2004 | 15659829 |
| [physiological and ecological effects of potassium on expansion of crocus corm]. | the corm size of crocus sativus, a well-known medicine, is a key limiting factor for its stigma harvest. a water cultural experiment with four different potassium (k) concentrations showed that the k content, chlorophyll content, relative atp content and net photosynthetic rate in c. sativus leaves increased with improving k concentration, which enhanced the function of leaves to be metabolic source. on the other hand, the k absorbing ability and the contents of soluble sugars, vitamin c (vc) an ... | 2004 | 15334966 |
| antityrosinase principles and constituents of the petals of crocus sativus. | three new monoterpenoids, crocusatin-j (1), -k (2), and -l (3), and a new naturally occurring acid, (3s),4-dihydroxybutyric acid (4), together with 31 known compounds were isolated and identified from the methanol extract of the petals of saffron (crocus sativus). their structures were established by spectroscopic methods. among them, crocusatin-k (2), crocusatin-l (3), and 4-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohex-2-enone (8) showed significant antityrosinase activity, and protocatechuic acid (18), kae ... | 2004 | 15043425 |
| promotion of the growth of crocus sativus cells and the production of crocin by rare earth elements. | la3+ and ce3+, either singly or a mixture, promoted crocin production of crocus sativus callus but nd3+ had little effect and all metal ions were toxic above 100 microm. la3+ (60 microm) promoted growth of callus significantly but increased crocin only slightly. ce3+ (40 microm) significantly promoted crocin production but had little effect on cell growth. la3+ (60 microm) and ce3+ (20 microm) together gave the highest dry weight biomass (20.4 g l(-1)), crocin content (4.4 mg g(-1)) and crocin p ... | 2004 | 15005147 |
| production of crocin using crocus sativus callus by two-stage culture system. | saffron callus was grown in a two-stage culture on b5 medium supplemented with casein hydrolysate (300 mg l(-1)) at 22 degrees c in dark with naphthalene acetic acid (2 mg l(-1)) and 6-benzyladenine (1 mg l(-1)) to give maximum biomass (16 g dry wt l(-1)), and with indole 3-acetic acid (2 mg l(-1)) and 6-benzyladenine (0.5 mg l(-1)) for crocin formation. the maximum crocin production (0.43 g l(-1)) was achieved by this two-stage culture method, which was three times that by a one-stage method. | 2003 | 14514073 |
| lectin from bulbs of crocus sativus recognizing n-linked core glycan: isolation and binding studies using fluorescence polarization. | | 2003 | 12968385 |
| crocus sativus against cancer. | | 2009 | 12957535 |
| [studies on the pharmacological effects of saffron(crocus sativus l.)--a review]. | reviewing the studies on the chemical components and medicinal value. | 2002 | 12776492 |
| [induction of petal-like structures from petals of crocus sativus l. and the differentiation of style-stigma-like structures in vitro]. | firstly the petal of crocus sativus l was cultured on the medium that supplemented with different combinations of hormones. the petal-like structures(pls) were induced on medium, but the induction rates were different in various medium. the highest induction rate of petal-like structures was obtained on the media that was supplemented with naa (4 mg/l) and kt (8 mg/l). the petal-like structures were subcultured on another media when the structure was produced on the explants and proliferate grou ... | 2002 | 12561216 |
| constituents of the stigmas of crocus sativus and their tyrosinase inhibitory activity. | four new compounds, crocusatins f (1), g (2), h (3), and i (4a), together with 21 known compounds, were isolated from an aqueous extract of the stigmas of crocus sativus (saffron). the structures of 1-4 were established by spectral methods. the tyrosinase inhibitory activities of all 25 compounds isolated were evaluated in vitro using mushroom tyrosinase. among them, crocusatin h (3), crocin-1 (5), and crocin-3 (6) showed significant tyrosinase inhibitory activity. | 2002 | 12398542 |
| constituents of the pollen of crocus sativus l. and their tyrosinase inhibitory activity. | five new naturally occurring monoterpenoids, crocusatins-a (1), -b (2a), -c (3), -d (4a) -e (5), a new lactate, sodium (2s)-(o-hydroxyphenyl)lactate (6), and eighteen known compounds were isolated and characterized from the pollen of crocus sativus l. the tyrosinase inhibitory activities of these compounds were also discussed. | 2002 | 12372855 |
| catalytic properties of three l-lactate dehydrogenases from saffron corms (crocus sativus l). | three l-lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes were detected in saffron corms, using potassium ferricyanide as the electron acceptor. their ph optima were 5.5, 7.5 and 9.5, respectively. all three dehydrogenases were substrate-inhibited by ferricyanide, but at different concentrations; maximum enzymatic activity was observed for 250, 100 and 600 microm ferricyanide, at ph 5.5, 7.5 and 9.5, respectively. catalytic efficiency, calculated per mg corm extract protein, was 1.9, 1.0 and 0.4 min(-1), respect ... | 2002 | 12241049 |