Phytochemistry, quality control and medicinal uses of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.): an updated review.

Saffron, botanically known as Crocus sativus L., is renowned as the world's most expensive spice and has been utilized in various fields since ancient times. Extensive scientific research has been conducted on Crocus sativus (C. sativus), focusing on its phytochemical composition, diverse applications, and biological activities. C. sativus phytochemicals consist mainly of three compounds, namely crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal, which are responsible for most of its properties. Saffron is rich in bioactive compounds, more than 150 of which have been isolated. Owing to its unique composition and properties, saffron is used in various fields, such as the food industry, perfumery, cosmetics, pharmaceutics, and medicine. However, the high economic value of saffron makes it susceptible to adulteration and various fraudulent practices. To deal with this issue, a number of methods and techniques have been developed to authenticate and determine adulterants in saffron. This paper presents a bibliometric study of saffron based on the Web of Science database, analyzing 3,735 studies published between 2000 and 2021. The study also examined author participation and collaboration networks among countries. Production, transformation, chemical composition, methods of adulteration detection, uses, and health properties of saffron are also discussed.

Spent coffee grounds: A sustainable approach toward novel perspectives of valorization.

Coffee is one of the most popular and preferred drinks in the world, being consumed for its refreshing and energizing properties. As a result, the consumption of coffee generates millions of tons of waste, in particular, spent coffee grounds (SCG). On the contrary, food waste recovery is an incredibly sustainable and convenient solution to the growing need for materials, fuels, and chemicals. SCG has been developed as a precious resource of several high value-added products (oil, proteins, minerals, fatty acids, sterols….). Thus, a transformative pathway to a circular economy that involves the valorization of coffee wastes and by-products is currently attracting the attention of researchers worldwide. The potential growth of scientific papers and publications promotes a comprehensive review to determine the research hotspots, knowledge structure, and to consider future avenues and challenges. Therefore, in this paper, we conducted a systematic review based on 275 indexed papers on the composition and valorization of SCG as a prospective environmental source. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: SCG can be applied in agro-food industries.