Flower Power

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus.  Saffron has been long-used as a folk medicine.  Scientists have identified that saffron contains vitamin B2 along with a yellow flavonoid called crocin, a bitter glycoside called picrocrocin, and the volatile, aromatic substance safranal. Korean researchers revealed that Crocetin, a glycosylated carotenoid present in saffron, showed approximately 5- to 18-fold higher cytotoxicity than crocin, a carboxylic carotenoid in saffron.  Importantly, the team found that both crocetin and crocin reduced the protein expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), one of the targets for chemoprevention in cancer cells, by 34.2% and 10.5%, respectively.