title: Post-harvest degradation of carotenoid glucose esters in saffron.
abstract: It has been found that an indoor cultivation system of Crocus sativus L. is more favorable with regard to the quality of saffron, as compared to the usual cultivation in an open field. Carotenoid glucose esters increase from the period before blooming and reach the maximum in the full blooming period, and are sensitive for the presence of oxygen, light irradiation, and beta-glucosidase. Moreover, it is evident that storage of saffron at -20 degrees C promotes the constant supply of saffron with a homogeneous pharmacological activity.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Umezaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Irino
mesh_terms: D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004952:Esters; D005960:Glucosides / Q000737:chemistry*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D017365:Spices; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D004952:Esters; D005960:Glucosides; C487773:trans-sodium crocetinate; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids