Anticancer Effect and Molecular Targets of Saffron Carotenoids.
Saffron carotenoids, crocin and crocetin, have shown anticancer activity in various animal models of cancer and against different cancerous cell lines. The radical scavenging property and activation of antioxidant defense system are two well-known characteristics of these compounds. However, the results of the studies indicated other mechanisms could also be involved in this function. Insights into various molecular mechanisms of action for crocin and crocetin have been obtained in recent years. The results indicated that despite the structural similarity of crocin and crocetin, their anticancer effects may exert through different mechanisms. Particular interest concerns the ROS-dependent signaling pathways of crocetin. Saffron compounds are safe and may provide inexpensive therapy for treating cancer. They also have protective potential in targeting other disorders including diabetes, Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease, cognitive deficits, ischemia-induced retinal damage, and many other diseases.
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA. Electronic address: bathai_z@modares.ac.ir.
S Zahra
SZ
Bathaie
Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Azam
A
Bolhassani
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Fuyuhiko
F
Tamanoi
Anticancer; Apoptosis; Crocetin; Crocin; Natural products; Phytochemicals; Saffron carotenoids; Signal transduction