The cardiovascular-protective properties of saffron and its potential pharmaceutical applications: A critical appraisal of the literature.
Phytother Res
; 35(12): 6735-6753, 2021 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34448254
ABSTRACT
Saffron, the dried stigma of Crocus sativus L., is used in traditional medicine for its healing properties and the treatment of various pathological conditions. The present literature review aimed to summarize and evaluate the preclinical and clinical data regarding the protective effects and mechanisms of saffron and its main components (crocin, crocetin, safranal) on cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. Many in vitro and animal studies have been conducted implicating antioxidant, hypolipidemic, anti-diabetic, and antiinflammatory impact of saffron and its constituents. Notably, there is evidence of direct atherosclerosis regression and stabilization in valid atherosclerosis-prone animal models. However, current clinical trials have shown mostly weak effects of saffron and its constituents on cardiovascular risk factors (a) Modest lowering of fasting blood glucose, without significant reduction of HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients, (b) moderate/controversial hypolipidemic effects, (c) negligible hypotensive effect, and (d) inconsistent modification of metabolic syndrome parameters. There are important drawbacks in clinical trial design, including the absence of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic tests, the wide variance of doses and cohorts' characteristics, the small number of patients, the short duration. Therefore, large, properly designed, high-quality clinical trials, focusing on specific conditions are required to evaluate the biological/pharmacological activities and firmly establish the clinical efficacy of saffron and its possible therapeutic uses in cardiovascular diseases.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Produtos Biológicos
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Crocus
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Síndrome Metabólica
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Aterosclerose
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Animals
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Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Phytother Res
Assunto da revista:
TERAPIAS COMPLEMENTARES
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Chipre