Comprehensive chemotaxonomic analysis of saffron crocus tepal and stamen samples, as raw materials with potential antidepressant activity

Publication date: Available online 18 February 2020Source: Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical AnalysisAuthor(s): Javad Mottaghipisheh, Mohammad Mahmoodi Sourestani, Tivadar Kiss, Attila Horváth, Barbara Tóth, Mehdi Ayanmanesh, Amin Khamushi, Dezso CsuporAbstractSaffron crocus (Crocus sativus L.) has been widely grown in Iran. Its stigma is considered as the most valuable spice for which several pharmacological activities have been reported in preclinical and clinical studies, the antidepressant effect being the most thoroughly studied and confirmed. This plant part contains several characteristic secondary metabolites, including the carotenoids crocetin and crocin, and the monoterpenoid glucoside picrocrocin, and safranal. Since only the stigma is utilized industrially, huge amount of saffron crocus by-product remains unused. Recently, the number of papers dealing with the chemical and pharmacological analysis of saffron is increasing; however, there are no systematic studies on the chemical variability of the major by-products.In the present study, we harvested saffron crocus flowers from 40 different locations of Iran. The tepals and stamens were separated and subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis by HPLC-DAD. The presence and amount of seven marker compounds, including crocin, crocetin, picrocrocin, safranal, kaempferol-3-O-sophoroside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, and quercetin-3-O-sophoroside were determined.The analytical method was validated for filte...
Source: Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research