<p>Investigating the effect of <em>Crocus sativus</em> L. petal hydroalcoholic extract on inflammatory and enzymatic indices resulting from alcohol use in kidney and liver of male rats</p>

Abstract

BackgroundStudies have shown that consumption of high levels of alcohol causes many negative effects on the liver and kidneys where antioxidant ingredients can be a proper solution to reducing the resulting damages. So, the present study investigated the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Crocus sativus L. (saffron) petal with antioxidant properties on the changes in inflammatory and enzymatic indices resulting from alcohol use in the male rats’ kidney and liver.Materials and methodsAfter preparing the extract, LD50 was determined and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to specify the type and the rate of the active ingredients of the extract. Then, 36 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into six groups (n=6). The first group was only administered with normal saline and the second group only received ethyl alcohol 6 mL/kg/day·BW. The third and the fourth groups received ethyl alcohol 6 mL/kg/day·BW plus 167.5 and 335 mg/kg/day·BW saffron petal extract for 8 weeks. The fifth and the sixth groups received ethyl alcohol 6 mL/kg/day·BW for the first 8 weeks and were subsequently gavage fed on saffron extract for 167.5 and 335 mg/kg/day·BW, respectively, during the next 8 weeks. In the beginning and after the termination of the treatment, blood samples were collected from all rats.ResultsThe LD50 of the extract was about 670 mg/kg. The HPLC results indicated that the extract contains important antioxidant ingredients. At the end of the study, the serum concentration of the inflammatory indices, renal enzymes, and hepatic enzymes experienced a significant reduction in all of the intervened groups compared to the negative control group (minimum significant difference: P<0.05) except for the treatment group 1.ConclusionBased on the current results, the extract has a protective effect in a dosage-dependent way and greater protective roles were documented for higher dosages.

Crocus sativus L. Petal Extract Inhibits Inflammation and Osteoclastogenesis in RAW 264.7 Cell Model

“…In a 6-week double-blind, placebo-controlled and randomized trial of mild-to-moderate depression, patients that received capsules of Crocus sativus L. petals benefited from a significantly better outcome than those who received the placebo [13]; a hydroalcoholic extract of saffron petals displayed a protective effect against dysregulated ovarian steroids and inflammatory markers in a mouse model of testosterone-induced polycystic ovary syndrome [38]. Moreover, for saffron petal extracts, several studies documented the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity in cell injury in vitro models [14,[39][40][41], and the anti-inflammatory effect both in vitro [31] and in vivo [16]. Notably, although many of these studies use experimental models involving pro-inflammatory immune responses, only two works have thus far investigated macrophages as one of the possible cell targets of Crocus sativus L. petal derivatives, showing that two purified polysaccharides, not a whole petal extract, augmented the immunogenic functions of macrophage RAW 264.7 cells [42,43].…”

Protective Mechanism of Edible Food Plants against Alcoholic Liver Disease with Special Mention to Polyphenolic Compounds

“…Crocus sativus L., known as saffron, is commonly used as a spice in various regions such as Spain, Morocco, and Iran. Recently, Azizi et al [ 185 ] reported that bioactive-compound-enriched Crocus sativus L. petal (safranal, crocin, myricetin, and quercetin) could ameliorate ethanol-induced liver damage by reducing inflammatory biomarker.…”

“…Saffron polyphenolic extract protected liver from ethanol by reducing inflammation in ethanol-administered rats. [185] Parsley oil ND Parsley oil (50 mg/kg bw) was given to adult male albino rats for 4 weeks.…”

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Flower Water Extract Disrupts the Cecal Microbiome, Brush Border Membrane Functionality, and Morphology In Vivo (Gallus gallus)

“…In case of the inflammatory biomarkers assessed in the duodenum, it is found that CFWE administration led to a concentration dependent downregulation of the pro-inflammatory gene Interleukin 8 or IL8 ( Figure 1 ). An in vivo study on Wistar rats demonstrated saffron petal hydroalcoholic extract’s inhibitory effects on nuclear factor (NF-κB), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) after 8 weeks [ 24 ]. In the present study, however, the expression of NF-κβ and TNF-α genes did not significantly change at 5% and 10% CFWE.…”

“…C. sativus floral bio-residues and its isolated bioactive compounds have been investigated previously via in-vitro, in-vivo, and human studies. In general, some evidence supports its effect as an antioxidant [ 11 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ], anti-inflammatory agent [ 2 , 11 , 23 , 24 , 25 ], lipid lowering potential [ 22 , 26 ], hepatoprotective [ 20 ], and antidepressant activity [ 27 , 28 , 29 ]. With this study, we aim to investigate the effect of C. sativus flower water extract (CFWE) on intestinal brush border membrane functionality, morphology, iron status, intestinal gene expression, and cecal microbiome.…”