The Relation between Drying Conditions and the Development of Volatile Compounds in Saffron (Crocus sativus)

Abstract

Saffron is derived from the stigmas of the flower Crocus sativus L. The drying process is the most important post-harvest step for converting C. sativus stigmas into saffron. The aim of this review is to evaluate saffron’s post-harvest conditions in the development of volatile compounds and its aroma descriptors. It describes saffron’s compound generation by enzymatic pathways and degradation reactions. Saffron quality is described by their metabolite’s solubility and the determination of picrocrocin, crocins, and safranal. The drying process induce various modifications in terms of color, flavor and aroma, which take place in the spice. It affects the aromatic species chemical profile. In the food industry, saffron is employed for its sensory attributes, such as coloring, related mainly to crocins (mono-glycosyl esters or di-glycosyl polyene).

Comprehensive Evaluation of the Volatomic Fingerprint of Saffron from Campania towards Its Authenticity and Quality

“…Saffron, the dried red stigma of flowers of Crocus sativus L., is highly valued for its unique aroma, taste and color. It is called "the red gold" and is currently considered to be the world's most expensive spice [1,2]. Saffron has been known for four millennia and probably originated in the Middle East or in Greece (the southern Aegean islands of Crete and Santorini) [3].…”

“…Freshly harvested saffron stigmas are almost odorless, as odoriferous substances appear during the drying and storage period developing the typical pleasant odor. The dehydration is the crucial post-harvest step toward obtaining saffron with suitable quality, since during drying, different physical, chemical and biochemical processes occur achieving the desired final properties of saffron, including aroma formation, chemical stability, and antimicrobial activity [2].…”

“…(2) phenylpropanoids and benzenoids produced in shikimic acid pathway; and (3) compounds derived from the enzymatic conversion of lipid peroxidation [2]. Safranal is the key component of saffron essential oil and can be measured by the absorbance of aqueous saffron extract at 330 nm (ISO 3632-1, Geneva, ISO 2003).…”

“…This compound also exhibits antioxidant and cytotoxic properties against specific cancer cell lines [5]. However, the simple spectrophotometric method does not consider other volatile compounds, such as the isomers of safranal and isophorones, which not only deserve particular attention as key odorants in saffon, but also present therapeutic properties [2,5].…”

“…Specifically, Italy boasts some of the most valuable saffron in Europe with three Protected Designations of Origin (PDO): Sardinia, L'Aquila (Abruzzo) and San Gimignano (Tuscany), although there are also high-quality cultivations in Sicily and in the Campania region (South Italy). Many papers have been published on Italian saffron's volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [2]. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, no information is available on the volatile composition of saffron from the Campania region.…”