Saffron Yellow (Crocus sativus)

Among all the other spices, saffron is the most expensive species in the world – costing about 500 to 5000 USD per pound (450 grams).

Why it is so expensive? Because its harvesting method is labor-intensive!

How is saffron is harvested? Saffron is handpicked by hand from Crocus sativus flower, a.k.a “saffron crocus”. The name of “saffron” means the stigma or the thread-like structure of the flowers.

1 pound = 200,000 saffron stigmas = 70,000 crocus flowers (approx. 19 hours)

Saffron is originated from Iran, some argue that it is from Greece and Mesopotamia. Saffron crocus slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North America and Oceania.

Saffron flower has a unique taste, it has an metallic honey with grassy and hay-like fragrance. It contributes a luminous yellow-orange colouring to foods. Saffron is widely used in Persian, Indian, European and Arab cuisines, in dishes of jewelled rice, risotto, paella, biryani and more.

Other than that, saffron has a long history of use in traditional medicine, particularly used for enhancement of libido, mood boosting and improve memory.

Grades and ISO 3632 categories
Saffron is not all of same quality and strength (related to several factors like the amount of style picked along with the red stigma, age of saffron)

Red threads and yellow styles from Iran

“sargrol”- red stigma tips only, strongest grade
“pushali”- red stigma tips plus some yellow style, lower strength
“bunch”- red stigma plus large amount of yellow style
“konge”- yellow style only, very little aroma

High quality red threads from Austrian Saffron

“coupe” – strongest grade
“mancha”- general/high quality Spanish-grown saffron
“rio”
“standard”
“sierra”

Kashmiri saffron package

Imported Iranian saffron is mixed with local saffron and sold as “Kashmir brand” at a higher price
In Kashmir, saffron is mostly classified into two main categories called “mongra”-stigma alone and “lachha”-stigmas attached with parts of the style.

Grading under ISO 3632
ISO 3632 deals exclusively with saffron and establishes three categories: III (poorest quality), II, and I (finest quality).

We provide practical, easy & consistent on food processing application.

Fresh natural flavor extract powder for Bakery & Beverage.

Vegan, Non-GMO, No Fillers, No Flavors, No Additives, No Artificial Colors, Soy and Gluten Free, Lab Tested for Authentic & Active Compound

Taste = picrocrocin
Fragrance and aroma = safranal

Carotenoid pigment = crocin (imparts a rich golden-yellow hue to dishes and textiles)

Eyesight improvement

Randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial
Subject	Adults with mild/moderate AMD and vision > 20/70 of Snellen equivalent in at least one eye (n = 100)
Group	Placebo Saffron supplementation
Duration	6 months
Dosage	Oral saffron supplementation (20 mg/day)
Parameters Analyzed	Complete ophthalmic examination
Outcomes	Visible benefits Oral saffron supplementation modestly assists in preserving retinal function in participants with AMD, and this benefit appears to extend to participants already consuming current best-practice therapy (beta-carotene free AREDS supplementation) Table 1: mfERG (multifocal electroretinogram) results seen with saffron supplementation. There was a trend toward improved mean pooled mfERG response density (2.1% improvement) whilst on saffron compared to placebo (p = 0.08). **greater response = better retina function
Functions	Saffron supplementation modestly improved visual function in participants with AMD, including those using AREDS supplements. Given the chronic nature of AMD, longer-term supplementation may produce greater benefits.

Neuroprotective and Anti-Inflammatory Effects

In vivo mice experiment
Subject	Male Swiss albino mice, aged 12-16 weeks (40-45 g)
Groups	Control (NG) Lasered groups (LG) Saffron control group Lasered + saffron groups (SLG)
Duration	Oral administered during the 15 days before laser induction
Dosage	60 mg/kg body weight per day (oral gavage)
Parameters analyzed	Immunohistochemistry and retina analysis
Outcomes	Visible benefits Treatment with saffron extract decreased microglion numbers and morphological signs of their activation, including soma size and process retraction, both in OHT and in contralateral eyes. Oral administration of saffron extract was able to decrease the neuroinflammation associated with increased intraocular pressure, preventing retinal ganglion cell death. Figure 1: Saffron extract protected RGCs (Retinal Ganglion Cells) against damage produced by laser-induced OHT (Ocular hypertension)
Functions	Saffron extract may exert a protective effect in glaucomatous pathology.

Anti-obesity properties

Randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial

Subject

Coronary artery disease (CAD) patients (aged 40-65 years old)

Group

Placebo (30 mg)
Daily supplement of 30 mg saffron aqueous extract
Daily supplement of 30 mg crocin

Duration

8 weeks

Dosage

30 mg saffron aqueous extract (SAE) or 30 mg crocin

Parameters analyzed

Appetite, dietary intake, anthropometry, body composition, biochemical analysis (Before and After)

Outcomes

Table 1: Anthropometric and body composition measurements in study groups

	Differences between week 0 and week 8
Variable	Saffron SAE (n=25)	Crocin (n=25)	Placebo (n=25)
Body weight, kg	-2.31	-0.89	0.04
BMI, kg/㎡	-0.79	-0.29	0.03
Waist, cm	-2.32	-1.42	0.29
Fat %	-1.02	-0.71	-0.07
FFM, kg	-0.76	-0.07	0.08

Table 2: Fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles in study groups.

	Differences between week 0 and week 8
Variable	Saffron SAE (n=25)	Crocin (n=25)	Placebo (n=25)
FBS (mg/dL)	-6.40	-5.47	-1.79
Triglycerides (mg/dL)	-7.00	9.95	7.85
Total Cholesterol (mg/dL)	-4.60	5.84	8.26
HDL-C (mg/dL)	3.35	2.00	-0.37
LDL-C (mg/dL)	-4.90	1.89	5.31
VLDL, (mg/dL)	-1.45	1.74	1.42

Table 3: Energy, dietary intake, and appetite parameters in study groups.

	Differences between week 0 and week 8
Variable	Saffron SAE (n=25)	Crocin (n=25)	Placebo (n=25)
Energy (kcal/d)	-170.44	-82.51	-13.92
Carbohydrate (g/d)	-27.69	-13.75	-1.90
Protein (g/d)	-7.79	-2.32	-0.37
Total fat (g/d)	-3.17	-2.69	-1.24
Feelings of fullness	3.28	1.36	0.68
Feelings of satiety	3.48	1.92	-0.04
Feelings of hunger	-3.32	-1.48	-0.08

Functions

Saffron and its bioactive compounds (crocin and crocetin) can modify some of metabolic disorders through multiple mechanisms, by suppressing appetite, reducing dietary intake and central obesity.

Treat depression

Meta-analysis of several randomized controlled trials
Subject	Adults (aged 18 and older) with symptoms of depression
Group	Placebo Saffron supplementation
Duration	6-8 weeks
Dosage	30mg/day
Parameters analyzed	Depressive symptoms
Outcomes	Visible benefits Saffron supplementation significantly reduced depression symptoms compared to the placebo control condition. It is also found that saffron supplementation vs. the antidepressant groups (M ES = −0.15) indicating that both treatments were similarly effective in reducing depression symptoms. Table 1: Summary of clinical trials of saffron supplementation on patients with major depression.
Functions	Findings from clinical trials conducted to date indicate that saffron supplementation can improve symptoms of depression in adults with MDD.

Reference: