Anti-Depressant Properties of Crocin Molecules in Saffron

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 27; no. 7; p. 2076
• Main Authors: Siddiqui, Shahida Anusha, Ali Redha, Ali, Snoeck, Edgar Remmet, Singh, Shubhra, Simal-Gandara, Jesus, Ibrahim, Salam A, Jafari, Seid Mahdi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 23-03-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Amine oxidase (flavin-containing); Anticonvulsants; Antidepressants; Biological Products; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Carcinogens; Carotenoids; Carotenoids - pharmacology; Chemical compounds; Chinese medicine; Coloring Agents; Contractility; COVID-19; crocin; Crocus; Crocus sativus; Dopamine; Fluoxetine; Glutamic acid receptors; Imipramine; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Monoamines; Morphology; N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid; natural anti-depressants; Neurological disorders; Pharmacology; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Review; Saffron; Serotonin; Stigma; traditional medicine; China; Africa; India; crocin; saffron; Crocus sativus; natural anti-depressants; traditional medicine
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27072076

Saffron is a valued herb, obtained from the stigmas of the
Linn (Iridaceae), with therapeutic effects. It has been described in pharmacopoeias to be variously acting, including as an anti-depressant, anti-carcinogen, and stimulant agent. The therapeutic effects of saffron are harbored in its bioactive molecules, notably crocins, the subject of this paper. Crocins have been demonstrated to act as a monoamine oxidase type A and B inhibitor. Furthermore, saffron petal extracts have experimentally been shown to impact contractile response in electrical field stimulation. Other research suggests that saffron also inhibits the reuptake of monoamines, exhibits
-methyl-d-aspartate antagonism, and improves brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling. A host of experimental studies found saffron/crocin to be similarly effective as fluoxetine and imipramine in the treatment of depression disorders. Saffron and crocins propose a natural solution to combat depressive disorders. However, some hurdles, such as stability and delivery, need to be overcome.