Beneficial effects of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in ocular pathologies, particularly neurodegenerative retinal diseases

• Published in: Neural regeneration research Vol. 15; no. 8; pp. 1408 - 1416
• Main Authors: Fernández-Albarral, Jose, de Hoz, Rosa, Ramírez, Ana, López-Cuenca, Inés, Salobrar-García, Elena, Pinazo-Durán, María, Ramírez, José, Salazar, Juan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.08.2020; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Madrid, Spain%Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Inmunología, Oftalmología y ORL, Facultad de óptica y Optometría, Madrid, Spain%Unidad de Investigación Oftalmológica Santiago Grisolia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain%Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Inmunología, Oftalmología y ORL, Facultad de Medicina, Madrid, Spain; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: amd; crocetin; crocin; crocus sativus l.; diabetic retinopathy; glaucoma; neuroprotection; ocular diseases; retinitis pigmentosa; saffron; safranal; Analysis; Anopheles; Anti-inflammatory agents; Antianxiety agents; Antidepressants; Antidiabetics; Antioxidants; Antioxidants (Nutrients); Apoptosis; Cancer treatment; Carotenoids; Cell adhesion & migration; Cytokines; Diabetic retinopathy; Diseases; Enzymes; Health aspects; Herbal medicine; Hypertension; Ischemia; Kinases; Medicinal plants; Metabolites; Natural products; Neurodegeneration; Oxidative stress; Proteins; Retinal diseases; Review; Tranquilizing agents; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; crocetin; crocin; saffron; safranal; Crocus sativus L; glaucoma; neuroprotection; AMD; retinitis pigmentosa; diabetic retinopathy; ocular diseases
• ISSN: 1673-5374; 1876-7958
• DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.274325

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has been traditionally used in food preparation and as a medicinal plant. It currently has numerous therapeutic properties attributed to it, such as protection against ischemia, as well as anticonvulsant, antidepressant, anxiolytic, hypolipidemic, anti-atherogenic, anti-hypertensive, antidiabetic, and anti-cancer properties. In addition, saffron has remarkable beneficial properties, such as anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, due to its main metabolites, among which crocin and crocetin stand out. Furthermore, increasing evidence underwrites the possible neuroprotective role of the main bioactive saffron constituents in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, both in experimental models and in clinical studies in patients. Currently, saffron supplementation is being tested for ocular neurodegenerative pathologies, such as diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma, among others, and shows beneficial effects. The present article provides a comprehensive and up to date report of the investigations on the beneficial effects of saffron extracts on the main neurodegenerative ocular pathologies and other ocular diseases. This review showed that saffron extracts could be considered promising therapeutic agents to help in the treatment of ocular neurodegenerative diseases.