Effect of Daily Intake of a Saffron Infusion on Blood Cholesterol Levels

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), as well as having notable culinary value, has been traditionally used as a medicinal plant due to its bioactivity. Furthermore, its antioxidant properties have been evaluated, and it may have cardiovascular benefits. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the ce...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inApplied sciences Vol. 10; no. 14; p. 4763
Main Authors Bagur, M. José, Alonso Salinas, Gonzalo L., Jiménez-Monreal, Antonia M., Serrano-Heras, Gemma, Martínez-Tomé., Magdalena, Alonso, Gonzalo L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.07.2020
Subjects
Antioxidants
Atherosclerosis
Bioactive compounds
Biological activity
Blood
Blood cholesterol
Boiling points
Care and treatment
Central nervous system
Chemical properties
Cholesterol
Complications and side effects
crocetin esters
Diagnosis
dyslipidaemia
Dyslipidemias
Herbal medicine
Herbal teas
Lipids
Measurement
Medicinal plants
Metabolites
Morbidity
Multiple sclerosis
Oxidative stress
Patient outcomes
Physical exercise
Saffron
Saffron crocus
safranal
Studies
Triglycerides
Spain
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), as well as having notable culinary value, has been traditionally used as a medicinal plant due to its bioactivity. Furthermore, its antioxidant properties have been evaluated, and it may have cardiovascular benefits. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that causes a diminution in the daily physical exercise of patients. This sedentary lifestyle may contribute to an increased incidence of dyslipidaemia in this population, and could explain the increased cardiovascular morbidity. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the intake of a saffron infusion over 96 days on the lipid profile of MS patients. Considering the extraction kinetics of bioactive metabolites, the best way to prepare the infusion was by using ground saffron (PDO “Azafrán de La Mancha”), passed through a 0.5 mm sieve and infused with water at the boiling point (95–100 °C). A total of 35 MS patients took a midafternoon infusion for 96 days; 16 of them completed the treatment. A significant decrease in total blood cholesterol levels from 199.5 to 179.5 mg/dL was observed. Additionally, a significant diminution of triglyceride levels, from 124.0 to 101.0 mg/dL, was observed. In conclusion, the intake of an infusion of 50 mg of “Azafrán de La Mancha” for 96 days had a lipid-lowering effect in patients with MS.
ISSN:2076-3417
2076-3417
DOI:10.3390/app10144763