Safranal: From an Aromatic Natural Product to a Rewarding Pharmacological Agent

Source: Natural Library of Medicin

 

Abstract

Safranal, the main component of Crocus sativus essential oil, is thought to be the main cause of saffron unique odor. It is now about eighty years that this compound has been discovered and since then different scientific experiments have been done investigating its biological-pharmacological activities. Safranal effects in CNS have been more attractive to scientists and an escalating number of papers have been published regarding its neuropsychological effects. These promising properties of safranal propose its presence as a therapeutic agent in future, although there is a great need for further clinical trials and toxicological studies. In this review article, according to Scopus ®, Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge®, Scientific Information Database (SID) ® and Pubmed ® all papers published until July 2012 were thoroughly discussed and a brief note of each study was prepared.

Key Words: Crocus sativus, Review, Safranal, Saffron

 

Introduction

C. sativus, a member of Iridaceae family, commonly known as saffron, has been widely used as an aphrodisiac, antispasmodic and expectorant in the folk medicine (). The pharmacological effects of aqueous or alcoholic extracts of C. sativus stigmas have been described in the literature and comprise a wide spectrum of activities, including anticonvulsant (), antidepressant (), antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory (), antioxidant (), acetylcholinesterase inhibiting (), antitussive (), reducing withdrawal syndrome (), improving male erectile dysfunction (), enhancing spatial cognitive abilities after chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (), hypotensive () and antisolar () properties. According to chemical analysis, more than 150 chemicals are present in saffron stigmas () among which, all these pharmacological effects have been related to saffron main chemical compounds such as crocin, picrocrocin and safranal which are responsible for saffron exclusive color, taste and odor, respectively ().

In this review article, physicochemical properties and pharmacological-toxicological activity of safranal is discussed thoroughly based on the literature searching (July 2012) which has been done using Scopus®, Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge®, Scientific Information Database (SID) ® and Pubmed Database, looking for the term ‘Safranal’ in title, abstract and keywords.

 

History

Beside its exclusive color, saffron presents a particular taste which is originates from its picrocrocin content. Safranal (2, 6, 6-trimethyl-1, 3-cyclohexadien-1-carboxaldehyde) or C10H14O (Figure 1) is a cyclical terpenic aldehyde produced from picrocrocin. Picrocrocin (C6H26O7), discovered by Kajser (1884), cracks down following acids and alkali conditions, resulting in a molecule of water and an aglycon which in turn, loses a water molecule and finally turns to safranal (). Kuhn and Winterstein (1933), who obtained safranal through picrocrocin hydrolyzation for the first time, named this chemical as “Safranal”.

 

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