botanical record · discovered
Saffron
Crocus sativus
Saffron · Croco · Crocus cultive · Crocus cultivé · Crocus cultivé, Safran cultivé, Safran · Crocus à safran · Echter Safran · Echter Safran Nom · Italian Crocus · Jóféle sáfrány · Kunkuma · Saffraankrokus · Saffran-Krokus · Saffrankrókus
At a glance
Origin / distribution: China, Turkey, Japan*, Japan, Europe, Spain, France, Java
Cultural traditions: not documented
Recorded uses: Abortifacient, Anodyne, Antispasmodic, Aphrodisiac
Science studied: 2-BUTENOIC-ACID-LACTONE, CARBOHYDRATES, COPPER, CROCETIN-BETA-D-GENTIOBIOSIDE
Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗
Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.
Names and identity
Family: Iridaceae
Scientific name: Crocus sativus
Common names: Saffron, Croco, Crocus cultive, Crocus cultivé, Crocus cultivé, Safran cultivé, Safran, Crocus à safran, Echter Safran, Echter Safran Nom, Italian Crocus, Jóféle sáfrány, Kunkuma, Saffraankrokus, Saffran-Krokus, Saffrankrókus
History
The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, China, Turkey, Japan*, Japan, Europe, Spain, France and 4 additional places.
It records these historical or traditional applications:
- Abortifacient
- Anodyne
- Antispasmodic
- Aphrodisiac
- Balsamic
- Blood
- Cancer
- Cardiotonic
show 36 more documented entries
- Carminative
- Cataplasm
- Catarrh
- Cold
- Diaphoretic
- Emmenagogue
- Fever
- Fright
- Gastrotonic
- Hepatitis
- Hepatomegaly
- Hysteria
- Measles
- Megalospleny
- Melancholy
- Menoxenia
- Narcotic
- Nervine
- Poison
- Puerperium
- Resolvent
- Sclerosis
- Sedative
- Shock
- Skin
- Spasm
- Spice
- Stimulant
- Stomachic
- Sudorific
- Tumor(Abdomen)
- Antiseptic
- Depression
- Fatality
- Fear
- Expectorant
This summary is limited to the cited source record.
Origins and distribution
- Elsewhere
- China
- Turkey
- Japan*
- Japan
- Europe
- Spain
- France
- Java
- Iraq
- Egypt
- India
Documented cultural uses
- Abortifacient
- Anodyne
- Antispasmodic
- Aphrodisiac
- Balsamic
- Blood
- Cancer
- Cardiotonic
- Carminative
- Cataplasm
- Catarrh
- Cold
show 32 more documented entries
- Diaphoretic
- Emmenagogue
- Fever
- Fright
- Gastrotonic
- Hepatitis
- Hepatomegaly
- Hysteria
- Measles
- Megalospleny
- Melancholy
- Menoxenia
- Narcotic
- Nervine
- Poison
- Puerperium
- Resolvent
- Sclerosis
- Sedative
- Shock
- Skin
- Spasm
- Spice
- Stimulant
- Stomachic
- Sudorific
- Tumor(Abdomen)
- Antiseptic
- Depression
- Fatality
- Fear
- Expectorant
Contemporary uses
Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.
Scientific research
Selected findings are summarized from linked studies. Research volume is not proof of effectiveness.
- Sleep quality: Randomized studies have examined 14–60 mg preparations over 4–8 weeks; outcomes and preparations differed across studies. source ↗
- Depression and anxiety: Human trials have reported mixed-to-positive symptom changes, including a nonsignificant depression result in one 30 mg study; these findings do not establish efficacy. source ↗
- Pharmacokinetics: A 13-person study measured crocetin exposure after 56 mg and 84 mg saffron extract; it measured absorption, not a therapeutic outcome. source ↗
Scientific compounds
Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.
- 2-BUTENOIC-ACID-LACTONE
- CARBOHYDRATES
- COPPER
- CROCETIN-BETA-D-GENTIOBIOSIDE
- CROCETIN-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE
- CROCETIN-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE-D-GENTIOBIOSIDE
- CROCIN-1
- DELPHINIDIN
- CIS-DIMETHYLCROCETIN
- TRANS-DIMETHYLCROCETIN
- FAT
- FIBER
- HENTRIACONTANE
- LAURIC-ACID
- MANGANESE
- MYRICETIN
show 133 more documented entries
- NITROGEN
- OXYSAFRANAL
- 2-PHENYLETHANOL
- PINENE
- PROTEIN
- RIBOFLAVIN
- THIAMIN
- 3,5,5-TRIMETHYL-4-HYDROXY-1-CYCLOHEXANONE-2-ENE
- ASH
- CINEOLE
- CROCETIN-DI-BETA-GLUCOSIDE
- CROCOSE
- EO
- METHYLCROCETIN
- PETUNIDIN
- QUERCETIN
- STARCH
- WATER
- XANTHOPHYLL
- ALANINE
- PHENYLALANINE
- 3,8-DIHYDROXY-1-METHYLANTHRAQUINONE-2-CARBOXYLIC-ACID
- ARGININE
- ASPARTIC-ACID
- ASTRAGALIN
- BORNEOL-ACETATE
- BUT-2-ENOIC-ACID-LACTONE
- CAR-3-ENE
- BETA-CAROTENE
- GAMMA-CAROTENE
- 1,8-CINEOLE
- BETA-CITRONELLOL
- CROCETIN
- ALPHA-CROCETIN
- BETA-CROCETIN
- DIMETHYL-CROCETIN
- GAMMA-CROCETIN
- CROCETIN-(2,3,4,8,9,10,12-HEPTA-O-ACETYL-BETA-D-GENTIOBIOSYL)-(2,3,4,6-TETRA-O-ACETYL-BETA-D-GLUCOSYL)-ESTER
- CROCETIN-(BETA-D-GENTIOBIOSYL)-(BETA-D-GLUCOSYL)-ESTER
- CROCETIN-DI-(2,3,4,6-TETRA-O-ACETYL-BETA-D-GLUCOSYL)-ESTER
- CROCETIN-DI-(2,3,4,8,9,10,12-HEPTA-O-ACETYL-BETA-D-GENTIOBIOSYL)-ESTER
- CROCETIN-DI-(BETA-D-GLUCOSYL)-ESTER
- CROCETIN-MONO-(BETA-D-GENTIOBIOSYL)-ESTER
- CROCETIN-MONO-(BETA-D-GLUCOSYL)-ESTER
- CROCIN
- CROCIN-2
- CROCIN-3
- CROCIN-4
- 13-CIS-CROCIN
- ALPHA-CROCIN
- CIS-CROCIN
- TRANS-CROCIN
- CROCUS-SATIVUS-GLUCOSIDE
- CROCUS-SATIVUS-LECTIN-I
- CROCUS-SATIVUS-LECTIN-II
- CROCUS-SATIVUS-LECTIN-III
- CROCUS-SATIVUS-LECTIN-IV
- CROCUS-SATIVUS-OLEANOLIC-ACID-SAPONIN
- CROCUS-SATIVUS-STEROID-SAPONIN
- CYANIDIN
- 4-HYDROXY-2,6,6-TRIMETHYL-CYCLOHEX-1-ENE-CARBOXALDEHYDE
- 2-HYDROXY-3,5,5-TRIMETHYLCYCLOHEXA-1,4-DION-2-ENE
- 3,5,5-TRIMETHYLCYCLOHEXA-1,4-DION-2-ENE
- 3,5,5-TRIMETHYLCYCLOHEXA-1,4-DIONE
- 6-HYDROXY-3-FORMYL-2,4,4-TRIMETHYLCYCLOHEXA-2,5-DIEN-1-ONE
- 4-HYDROXY-3,5,5-TRIMETHYLCYCLOHEXAN-1-ON-2-ENE
- P-CYMENE
- CYSTINE
- FENCHONE
- FRUCTOSE
- GENTIOBIOSE
- GERANIOL
- GLUCOSE
- GLUTAMIC-ACID
- GLYCINE
- HELICHRYSOSIDE
- HISTIDINE
- ISOPHORONE
- KAEMPFEROL
- KAEMPFEROL-3-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL-(1,2)-BETA-D-6-ACETYL-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE
- KAEMPFEROL-3-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL-(1,2)-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE
- KAEMPFEROL-3-O-BETA-D-SOPHOROSIDE
- LEUCINE
- LINALOOL-ACETATE
- LINOLEIC-ACID
- LINOLENIC-ACID
- LYCOPENE
- TETRAHYDROLYCOPENE
- LYSINE
- MALVIDIN
- MANGICROCIN
- METHIONINE
- BETA-MYRCENE
- NAPHTHALENE
- NONAN-1-OL
- METHYL-NONYL-KETONE
- OLEANOLIC-ACID-GLYCOSIDE
- OLEIC-ACID
- PALMITIC-ACID
- 2-PHENETHANOL
- BETA-PHENYLETHANOL
- PHYTOENE
- PHYTOFLUENE
- PICROCROCIN
- ALPHA-PINENE
- BETA-PINENE
- PROLINE
- PROTOCROCIN
- SABINENE
- SAFRANAL
- SATIVOL
- SERINE
- STEARIC-ACID
- TERPINEN-4-OL
- ALPHA-TERPINENE
- GAMMA-TERPINENE
- TERPINOLENE
- THREONINE
- ALPHA-THUJENE
- TRICYCLENE
- TYROSINE
- VALINE
- VITAMIN-B-1
- VITAMIN-B-2
- ZEAXANTHIN
- CIS-ZEAXANTHIN
- TRANS-ZEAXANTHIN
- OLEANOLIC-ACID
- SALICYLATES
- BORNEOL
- CAMPHOR
- LIMONENE
- LINALOOL
Legality
Country-specific legal status is not documented in this record.
Consult the CITES species checklist for international trade protections and listings. This is not a complete statement of local law.
Reference images
Sources
Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases · CC0
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0
show claim source mapping
CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive
Contributions and revisions
No published revisions are documented for this record. Community submissions enter review and retain attribution before any published change.
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