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Potential of Spices As Medicines and Immunity Boosters
Published in Amit Baran Sharangi, K. V. Peter, Medicinal Plants, 2023
Minoo Divakaran, K. Nirmal Babu, K. V. Peter
Saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, is valued both for its traditional value, as a food additive, and therapeutic properties. Used as an anti-depressant in Persian traditional medicine (TM), a comparative study has been made on the effect of combining hydro-alcoholic extract of Crocus sativus (stigma) with fluoxetine, for the management of depression. A population, which was administered saffron 30 mg/day two times a day and another which was given fluoxetine capsules alone, in the dosage of 20 mg/day (twice) for 6-weeks, showed at the end of the study period, that saffron was similar to fluoxetine in the treatment of depression, without any significant differences in terms of observed side effects (Noorbala et al., 2005). When saffron (50 mg) dissolved in 100 ml of milk was fed, to 20 people, a major decrease in lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility (LOS), was observed in 10 of them, who suffered from Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). This indicated the potential of Saffron as an antioxidant (Verma and Bordia, 1998). Similar studies have indicated its action as a tonic, stomachic, and protectant against carcinogenesis (Peter and Shylaja, 2012).
Natural Product Compounds from Plants in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published in Namrita Lall, Medicinal Plants for Cosmetics, Health and Diseases, 2022
Priya Darshani, Md TanjimAlam, Prem P. Tripathi, V.S. Pragadheesh
Root ethanolic extract of Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC. delayed the neuronal injury induced in the 6-OHDA rat model of PD. Animals treated with this extract significantly attenuated the neurotoxin-induced lipid peroxidation led to the loss of catecholamine and increased the glutathione (GSH) content (Ahmad et al., 2006). Phytoconstituents like crocin and crocetin of Crocus sativus L. executed neuroprotective activity through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory pathways. Cannabinoids from the Cannabis sativa L. such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol showed neuroprotection through their antioxidant activity. Cannabinoid derivatives, namely AM404 and WIN-55212–2, showed therapeutic activity by recovering affected MAO dopaminergic neurons and constrain excitotoxicity, glial activation and oxidative injury that prevented the deterioration of nigrostriatal neurons. Additionally, cannabinoid compounds such as CE-178253, oleoylethanolamide, nabilone and HU210 have shown their consistent effects against bradykinesia and levodopa-induced dyskinesia in PD (Carrera and Cacabelos, 2019; Pertwee, 2015; Concannon et al., 2015).
Role of Vitamin D and Antioxidant Functional Foods in the Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology
Published in Abhai Kumar, Debasis Bagchi, Antioxidants and Functional Foods for Neurodegenerative Disorders, 2021
Crocus sativus L. (Saffron) is a perennial herb of the Iridaceae family thought to have significant antioxidative properties via scavenging activity attributed to its phenolic and flavonoid content. It has inhibitory effects on AB fibrillogenesis and tau aggregation (Hatziagapiou, Kakouri, Lambrou, Bethanis, & Tarantilis, 2019).
Natural inhibitors for acetylcholinesterase and autophagy modulators as effective antagonists for tau and β-amyloid in Alzheimer’s rat model
Published in Biomarkers, 2023
Mervat Hassan, Hisham Ismail, Olfat Hammam, Abdullrahman Elsayed, Othman Othman, Sohair Aly Hassan
Memory loss, cognitive impairment as well as neuropsychic symptoms in AD lead to the intense need for a medication that can improve memory and lessen behavioural desolation. Donepezil has failed to sojourn the disease development and is linked to a variety of adverse effects. Therefore, R. officinalis and Crocus sativus natural plant extracts, could be more appropriate for treating cognitive decline with no side effects as they have active compounds able to bind effectively with some target proteins that constitute the essential cause of the disease progression. R. officinalis, Crocus sativus with their unique structure can refunction the neuronal autophagy as one of the major factors affecting the progression of neurodegenerative disorders indicating their talented possible neurotherapeutic role for Alzheimer’s disease. Additional studies are still needed to disclose the precise mechanism involved in the treatment.
Evaluation of modulatory effects of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) aqueous extract on oxidative stress in ischemic stroke patients: a randomized clinical trial
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2022
Saeed Gudarzi, Mahvash Jafari, Gila Pirzad Jahromi, Reza Eshrati, Mostafa Asadollahi, Parisa Nikdokht
Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic brain injury [6]. Ischemia leads to the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impaired antioxidant defenses, so that all of them result in overt oxidative stress and subsequent neuronal injury. High levels of ROS make a number of direct detrimental effects, such as lipid peroxidation and protein and DNA oxidation, as well as multiple cell signaling effects resulting in the initiation of inflammation and cell death pathways [7,8]. For this reason, supplementations with exogenous source of antioxidants detoxify excessive ROS and inhibit oxidative stress-mediated brain injury in stroke [9]. In this regard, herbal medicines derived from plant extracts with natural antioxidant and pharmacological activities are being increasingly utilized to treat a wide variety of clinical diseases [10,11]. Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a member of Iridaceae family that is widely used as an herbal medicine. It has been originaly used as a spice for flavoring and coloring food and various energizing drinks for years. This plant is cultivated in Iran, Greece, Turkey, Spain, India, China and Egypt [10,12,13]. In Iran, it has been cultivated in the south Khorasan province from ancient times [12].
Therapeutic effects of saffron extract on different memory types, anxiety, and hippocampal BDNF and TNF-α gene expressions in sub-chronically stressed rats
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2022
Roshanak Roustazade, Maryam Radahmadi, Yeganeh Yazdani
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), widely cultivated in Iran, India, Italy, Spain, and Greece, has been shown not only to have anxiolytic-like effects but also to improve scopolamine-induced memory impairment in rats due to the effective constituents in its extract (including crocins, picrocrocin, quercetin, and safranal) [6–9]. Crocins exhibit free radical scavenging and antioxidant properties, which reportedly enhance hippocampal BDNF and protect the brain against stress-induced oxidative stress, membrane lipid peroxidation, and the resultant memory shortfalls [10–12]. Missing in the literature reports is, however, studies of the effects of varying saffron doses on certain brain functions under sub-chronic stress and non-stress conditions. The present study was, therefore, implemented to investigate the therapeutic effects of saffron dosage on different types of memory, memory trend, and anxiety in sub-chronically stressed rats. Additionally, serum cortisol levels as well as hippocampal BDNF and TNFα gene expressions were evaluated as the mechanisms involved in these events.