Quantification of crocetin content in Italian saffron varieties
Saffron has been used in the medical field since ancient times. In recent decades, scientific research revealed new and interesting pharmacological properties of Saffron pointing at its possible use as adjuvant in cancer prevention. The mechanism is simple: one of the natural Saffron sugars (crocetin) inhibits the enzyme (lactate dehydrogenase) essential for sugar metabolism, normally over-expressed in cancer cells. This inhibition ‘starves’ the cancer cells to the point of causing their death.
Scientific research also documents a certain variability in sugar content (including crocetin) among Saffron lines typically grown in different environmental conditions. However, scientific research has not yet been able to clarify whether this variability is due to genetic differences, or whether it is induced by the environmental conditions of cultivation. Understanding the root cause of the observed variability would help establishing a solid basis for exploring new applications of Saffron in the pharmacological and / or nutraceutical field.
Project Objectives
- Quantify the variability of crocetin content across Saffron varieties grown in Italy in different environmental conditions and check if there is a correlation between the intensity of the inhibitory activity on the lactate dehydrogenase enzyme and the crocetin content of the analysed varieties.
Collaboration
Project in collaboration with the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Pisa and with the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Sassari.
