| | Saffron's traditional folkloric
uses as an herbal medicine are legendary. It has been used for its carminative
and emmenagogic properties, for example. Iranian used saffron to treat respiratory
infections and disorders such as coughs and common colds,smallpox, cancer, hypoxia,
and asthma. Other targets included blood disorders, insomnia, paralysis, heart
diseases, flatulence, stomach upsets and disorders, gout, chronic uterine haemorrhage,
dysmorrhea, amenorrhea, baby colic, and eye disorders.
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| | For ancient Persians, saffron
was also an aphrodisiac, a general-use antidote against poisoning, a digestive
stimulant, and a tonic for dysentery and measles.
Saffron's arytenoids have
been shown in scientific studies to have ant carcinogenic (cancer-suppressing),
anti-mutagenic (mutation-preventing), and immune-modulating properties.
The
active ingredient behind these effects has been identified as dimethyl-crocetin.
This compound counters a wide spectrum of both murine tumours as well as human
leukaemia cancer cell lines.
Saffron extract also delays ascites tumour growth,
delays papilla carcinogenesis, inhibited squalors cell carcinoma, and decreases
the incidence of soft tissue sarcoma in treated mice.
Researcher’s theories
that such anticancer activity can be best attributed to dimethyl-crocetin's disruption
of the DNA-binding ability of proteins, as shown in Thymidine-uptake studies.
Specifically, the DNA-binding ability of enzymes known as type II topoisomerases
within cancer cells is inhibited.] Thus, the malignant cells are unable to synthesize
or replicate their own DNA. Saffron's pharmacological effects on malignant
tumours have been documented in studies done both in vitro and in vivo. For example,
saffron extends the lives of mice that are intraperitoneally impregnated with
transplanted sarcomas, namely, samples of S-180, Dalton's lymphoma ascites (DLA),
and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) tumours. Researchers followed this
by orally administering 200 mg of saffron extract per each kg of mouse body weight.
As a result the life spans of the tumour-bearing mice were extended to 111.0%,
83.5%, and 112.5%, respectively, in relation to baseline spans. Researchers
also discovered that saffron extract exhibits cytotoxicity in relation to DLA,
EAC, P38B, and S-180 tumour cell lines cultured in vitro. Thus, saffron has shown
promise as a new and alternative treatment for a variety of cancers. Besides
wound-healing and anticancer properties, saffron is also an antioxidant. This
means that, as an "anti-aging" agent, it neutralises free radicals.
Specifically, methanol extractions of saffron neutralise at high rates the DPPH
(IUPAC nomenclature: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals. This occurred
via vigorous proton donation to DPPH by two of saffron's active agents, safranal
and crocin. Thus, at concentrations of 500 and 1000 ppm, crocin studies showed
neutralisation of 50% and 65% of radicals, respectively. Safranal displayed a
lesser rate of radical neutralisation than crocin, however.
Such properties
give saffron extracts promise as an ingredient for use as an antioxidant in pharmaceuticals,
cosmetics, and as a food supplement. Ingested at high enough doses, however, saffron
is lethal. Several studies done on lab animals have shown that saffron's LD50
(semi-lethal dose, or the dose at which 50% of test animals die from overdose)
is 20.7 g/kg when delivered via a decoction. |
