Flower of Health
Crocus Sativus L. commonly known as saffron, is a perennial stemless herb of the Iridaceae family. Saffron is most commonly used in cooking and baking for its flavor and its dye properties. Independent of its use as a dye and scent, saffron is also interest because of its traditional uses and pharmacological activities.
Traditional uses
- Gastrointestinal tract: Antispasmodic, digestive and carminative.
- Genitary tract: Emmenagogue (promotes menstrual discharge), aphrodisiac (Exciting sexual desire), dysmenorrheal, premenstrual syndrome
- Respiratory tract: Anti-asthmatic, anti-cough, expectorant
- Central nervous system: Sedative and hypnotic, analgesic, exhilarant.
Pharmacological findings
- Anticancer (In vitro and In vivo)
- Central nervous system: memory and learning improvement, anticonvulsant and antidepressant
- Cardiovascular: Anti-hypertensive, hypolipidemic, anti-ischemia against cerebral, muscle and renal ischemia
- Miscellaneous: Antioxidant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, antitussive protection against genotoxic and aphrodisiac
*This report is a part of findings from Dr. Hossein Hosseinzadeh, Department of Pharmacodynamics & Toxicology, Mashhad University of Medicine.
"Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food".
The Father of medicine, Hippocrates