Golden Threads of Health: A Comprehensive Insight on the Medicinal Benefits of Saffron

Abstract

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) an Iridaceae family member, is a herbaceous, perennial, sterile geophyte propagated by mother corms. Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is the most expensive spice in the world, valued for its color, aromatic and medicinal properties. Even though indoor farming of saffron - the world's most expensive spice - is still in its early stages, farmers are hopeful that the process will increase crop production because it is cost-effective. Both the quality as well as the quantity can be maintained in indoor saffron farming because a farmer does not require land and there is zero impact of climate on the farming activity. Aside from its culinary value, saffron is used in traditional medicine for its medicinal properties such as an aphrodisiac, antispasmodic, stomach ailments, and lumbar pain. Saffron stigma is primarily composed of carotenoids (crocins and crocetins) and monoterpenes (picrocrocin and safranal), which contribute to its major pharmacological effects. According to reports and findings, saffron plays an important role in treating various digestive system disorders through chemo-preventive inhibition of cell proliferation induction of apoptosis, antioxidant effects and radical scavenging, genoprotective property, lipid peroxidation prevention, and anti-inflammatory processes. Saffron has potential therapeutic properties against liver cancer, hepatotoxicity, fatty liver, hyperlipidemia, stomach cancer, peptic ulcer, colon cancer, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, and neuropathic pain, according to the findings of the aforementioned mechanisms. We address the value of saffron as complementary medicine in this review, which also gathers the most recent research on the subject.