Crocus

Cultivation and Collection :

• It can grow in loamy, sandy or calcareous soil.

• Saffron prefers acidic soil. It grows well when the soil pH is around 5.5 to 8.5.

• Corms planted in July or august

• About 283 m3 per acre of water must be distributed throughout the period of saffron cultivation. Irrigation is done on weekly basis.

• Flowering period is one year

• In November and December stigmas and upper style are detached manually

• Dried by artificial heat

Chemical Constituents:

• Red colouring matter known as crocin and crocetin,

• Picrocrocin is bitter principle present along with volatile oil

• Protocrocin ( Carotenoid glycoside)

• Protocrocin split into Crocin and picrocrocin

• Crocin gives Crocetin and Gentiobiose on hydrolysis

• Picrocrocin gives Glucose and safranal on hydrolysis

• When it is treated with concentrated sulphuric acid it gives blue colour.

Uses:

• CROCIN AS COLORING MATTER FOR FOOD AND FEED: Crocin have a long history as a colouring matter . So it is often used as a colorant in the dishes.

• EFFECT OF CROCIN ON LEARNING AND MEMORY: Crocin has a specific, preventive effect on ethanol-induced impairment of learning and memory.

• CROCIN AS ANTIOXIDANT: Crocin scavenge free radicals, especially superoxide anions, and so may protect cells from oxidative stress.

• CROCIN IN ALZHEIMER DISORDER: Alzheimer's disease is characterized pathologically by deposition of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) fibrils. The growth of research suggests the possible use of C. sativus stigma constituents for inhibition of aggregation and deposition of Aβ in the human brain.

• CROCIN AS SEDATIVE AND TONIC: Crocin is listed in the german Commision E monographs as a sedative to calm the nerves.

• CROCIN EFFECTIVENESS IN COLON ADENOCARCINOMA: A growing body of research reveals that long term treatment with crocin enhances survival selectivity in female rats with colon cancer without major toxic effects.

• CROCIN AS ANTIDEPRESSANT

• CROCIN AS HEPATOPROTECTIVE AGENT: The growth of research reveals crocin as a potent hepatoprotective agent,

• CROCIN AS ANTINOCICEPTIVE AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENTS: Current research reveals that crocin exerts significant antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity in some models of inflammation

• CROCIN AS APHRODISIAC AGENT: In traditional medicine, saffron is recommended as aphrodisiac agent