Use of in vitro assays to assess the potential antigenotoxic and cytotoxic effects of saffron (Crocus sativus L.).
Saffron is harvested from the dried, dark red stigmas of Crocus sativus L. flowers. It is used as a spice for flavoring and coloring food and as a perfume. It is often used for treating several diseases. We assessed the antimutagenic, comutagenic and cytotoxic effects of saffron and its main ingredients using the Ames/Salmonella test system, two well known mutagens (BP, 2AA), the in vitro colony formation assay and four different cultured human normal (CCD-18Lu) and malignant (HeLa, A-204 and HepG2) cells. When only using the TA98 strain in the Ames/Salmonella test system, saffron showed non-mutagenic, as well as non-antimutagenic activity against BP-induced mutagenicity, and demonstrated a dose-dependent co-mutagenic effect on 2-AA-induced mutagenicity. The saffron component responsible for this unusual comutagenic effect was safranal. In the in vitro colony formation test system, saffron displayed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect only against human malignant cells. All isolated carotenoid ingredients of saffron demonstrated cytotoxic activity against in vitro tumor cells. Saffron crocin derivatives possessed a stronger inhibitory effect on tumor cell colony formation. Overall, these results suggest that saffron itself, as well as its carotenoid components might be used as potential cancer chemopreventive agents.
Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (National Institute of Pediatrics), Avenida del Imán # 1, Torre de Investigación, 6o piso, 04530 México DF, Mexico. fikrat@servidor.unam.mx
F I
FI
Abdullaev
L
L
Riverón-Negrete
H
H
Caballero-Ortega
J
J
Manuel Hernández
I
I
Pérez-López
R
R
Pereda-Miranda
J J
JJ
Espinosa-Aguirre
D000873:Anthracenes / Q000633:toxicity; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000633:toxicity; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D027622:Crocus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects
D000873:Anthracenes; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene; C006593:2-anthramine