Crocetin

The antidepressant activity of saffron is attributed to several bioactive constituents including safranal, crocin and crocetin, however, crocin is not present in the saffron petal.

Li et al., "Crocetin restores diabetic endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction by enhancing NO bioavailability via regulation of PI3K/AKT-eNOS and ROS pathways," Life Sciences, vol.

The main components in saffron are carotenoids like crocins and crocetin, monoterpene aldehydes like picrocrocin and safranal, and flavonoids.

jasminoides extracts and their main active phytoconstituents geniposide, genipin, crocin, crocetin have been reported for a wide range of pharmacological activities such as anti-hyperglycemic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritis, and anti-cancer etc.

Comparative evaluation of hepatoprotective activities of Geniposide, Crocins and Crocetin by CCl4-induced liver injury in mice.

Phytochemical studies had revealed the presence of alkaloids such as mimosine, crocetin, tubulin, turgorines, flavonoids, tannin, and sitisine.

Saffron is derived from the pistils of Crocus sativus, a wellknown traditional Chinese medicine [69], and contains high concentrations of the carotenoids crocin and crocetin. Multiple divalent carbon bonds in saffron compounds confer their powerful radical scavenging and antioxidative properties [70-72].

Crocetin down-regulates the proinflammatory cytokines in methylcholanthrene-induced rodent tumor model and inhibits COX-2 expression in cervical cancer cells.

An October 2011 study reported that a molecular constituent of saffron called crocetin "significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity induced by vincristine" against cervical, NSCLC, ovarian, and breast cancer cell lines.

Chief among these molecules are crocin, crocetin, and safranal, members of the carotenoid family of molecules that also includes forms of vitamin A.