Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypolipidemic and antioxidant potential of saffron and its active constituent, crocin, in hyperlipidemic rats. The animals fed either with normal fat diet or high fat diet were administered orally saffron (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) or crocin (4.84, 9.69, and 19.38 mg/kg) in their respective groups for five consecutive days. Biochemical estimations of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity (GSHPx), total glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in serum and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), and total sulfhydryl (SH) groups in liver tissue homogenate were carried out. Both saffron and crocin were effective in decreasing the elevated levels of TG, TC, ALP, AST, ALT, MDA, GSHPx, GSH, and GSSG in serum and increasing SOD, CAT, FRAP, and SH values in liver tissue with reduction in TBARS. The saffron was found to be superior to crocin indicating the involvement of other potential constituents of saffron apart from crocin for its synergistic behavior of quenching the free radicals and ameliorating the damages of hyperlipidemia.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Frishman, W. H. (1998). American Journal of Medicine, 104, 18S–27S.
Smith, J. R. S. C., Jackson, R., Pearson, T. A., Fuster, V., Yusuf, S., Faergeman, O., et al. (2004). Circulation, 109, 3112–3121.
Jahromi, F., Ray, A. B., & Chansouria, J. P. N. (1993). Journal of Natural Products, 56, 989–994.
Howard, B. V., & Kritchevsky, D. (1997). Circulation, 95, 2591–2593.
Hung, H. C., Merchant, A., Willett, W., Ascherio, A., Rosner, B. A., Rimm, E., et al. (2003). Epidemiology, 14, 659–665.
Mozaffarian, D., Kumanyika, S. K., Lemaitre, R. N., Olson, J. L., Burke, G. L., & Siscovick, D. S. (2003). JAMA, 289, 1659–1666.
Abdullaev, F. I., & Espinosa-Aguirre, J. J. (2004). Cancer Detection and Prevention, 28, 426–432.
Rios, J. L., Recio, M. C., Ginger, R. M., & Manz, S. (1996). Phytotherapy Research, 10, 189–193.
Hosseinzadeh, H., & Khosravan, V. (2002). Archives of Iranian Medicine, 5, 44–47.
Hosseinzadeh, H., Karimi, G. H., & Niapoor, M. (2004). Acta Horticulturae, 650, 435–445.
Hosseinzadeh, H., & Younesi, H. M. (2002). BMC Pharmacology, 2, 1–8.
Abdullaev, F. J. (1993). BioFactors, 4, 83–86.
Abdullaev, J., Caballero-Ortega, H., Riveron-Nigrete, L., Peredamiranda, R., Rivera-Luna, R., Manuel-Hernandez, J., et al. (2002). Revista de Investigacion Clinica, 54, 430–436.
Nair, S. C., Kurumboor, S. K., & Hasegawa, J. H. (1995). Cancer Biotherapy, 10, 257–264.
Assimopoulou, A. N., Sinakos, Z., & Papageorgiou, V. P. (2005). Phytotherapy Research, 19, 997–1000.
Verma, S. K., & Bordia, A. (1998). Indian Journal of Medical Sciences, 52, 205–207.
Baker, D., & Negbi, M. (1983). Economic Botany, 37, 228–236.
Bhargava, V. K. (2007). M Pharm. Thesis, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, India.
Li, N., Lin, G., Kwan, Y. W., & Min, Z. D. (1999). Journal of Chromatography A, 849, 349–355.
Guido, S., & Joseph, T. (1992). Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 30, 292–296.
Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., & Randall, R. I. (1951). Journal of Biological Chemistry, 193, 265–275.
Lawrence, R. A., & Burk, R. F. (1976). Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 71, 952–958.
Gavino, V. C., Miller, J. S., Ikharebha, S. O., Milo, G. E., & Cornwall, D. G. (1981). Journal of Lipid Research, 22, 763–769.
Owens, C. W., & Belcher, R. V. (1965). Biochemical Journal, 94, 705–710.
El-Hazmi, M. A., & Warsy, A. S. (2001). Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, 47, 181–186.
Fossati, P., & Prencipe, L. (1982). Clinical Chemistry, 28, 2077–2081.
Mc Gown, M. W., Artiss, J. D., Strandberg, D. R., & Zak, B. A. (1983). Clinical Chemistry, 29, 538–542.
Friedwald’s, W. T., Levy, I. R., & Friedrickson, S. D. (1972). Clinical Chemistry, 18, 499–504.
Bahramikia, S., & Yazdanparast, R. (2008). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 115, 116–121.
King, E. J., & Armstrong, A. R. (1934). Canadian Medical Association Journal, 31, 376–381.
Retimen, S., & Frankel, S. A. (1957). American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 28, 56–63.
Fernandez, J., Perez-Alvarez, J. A., & Fernandez-lopez, J. A. (1997). Food Chemistry, 99, 345–353.
Uchiama, M., & Miahara, M. (1978). Analytical Chemistry, 86, 279–286.
Benzie, I. F. F., & Strain, J. J. (1996). Analytical Chemistry, 239, 70–76.
Benzie, I. F. F., & Strain, J. J. (1999). Methods in Enzymology, 299, 15–27.
Ellman, G. (1959). Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 82, 70–77.
Kakkar, P., Das, B., & Viswanathan, P. N. (1984). Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 21, 131–132.
Aebi, H. (1974). In H. Bergmeyar (Ed.), Methods in enzymatic analysis (pp. 674–684). New York: Academic.
Devi, R., & Sharma, D. K. (2004). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 90, 63–74.
Temme, E. H., Van, H. P. G., Schouten, E. G., & Kasteloot, H. (2002). Acta Cardiologica, 57, 111–114.
De Graat, J., De Sauvage, N. P. R., Van Dam, M., Belsey, E. M., Kastelein, J. J., & Haydn, P. P. (2002). British Journal of Nutrition, 88, 479–483.
Harrison, D., Kathy, K. G., Homig, B., & Drexler, H. (2003). American Journal of Cardiology, 91, 7A–11A.
Wilson, P. W. F. (1990). American Journal of Cardiology, 66, 7A–12A.
Fernandez, J. A. (2004). Recent Research Development Plant Science, 2, 127–159.
Koshy, A. S., & Vijayalakshmi, N. R. (2001). Phytotherapy Research, 15, 395–400.
Wang, H. X., & Ng, T. B. (1999). Life Sciences, 65, 2663–2777.
Weggemans, R. M., & Trautwein, E. A. (2003). European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 57, 940–946.
Bolkent, S., Yanardag, R., Bolkent, S., & Doger, M. M. (2004). Biological Trace Element Research, 101, 219–230.
Kew, M. C. (2000). Lancet, 355, 591–592.
Aronoff, S. (1965). Science, 150, 72–73.
Beazley, W. D., Gaze, D. C., Panske, A., Panzig, E., & Schallreuter, K. U. (1999). British Journal of Dermatology, 41, 301–303.
Cohen, G., & Hochstein, P. (1964). Biochemistry, 3, 895–900.
Abdollahi, M., Ranjbar, R., Shadnia, S., Nikfar, S., & Rezaie, A. (2004). Medical Science Monitor, 10, 141–147.
Parihar, M. S., & Hemnani, T. (2003). Journal of Biosciences, 28, 121–128.
Jansen, E. V. (1959). Science, 130, 1319–1323.
Dormandy, T. L. (1980). Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 492, 153–168.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Asdaq, S.M.B., Inamdar, M.N. Potential of Crocus sativus (saffron) and its Constituent, Crocin, as Hypolipidemic and Antioxidant in Rats. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 162, 358–372 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-009-8740-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-009-8740-7