Aromatic potential, quality and antioxidant activity of saffron grown in Morocco

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus L., which has special aroma, colour and odour influencing positively its economic value. In this context, ten saffron ecotypes were screened for their biochemical composition antioxidant activity. The samples also analysed using GC-MS LC-MS to determine content volatile phenolic compounds, respectively. results revealed statistically significant differences among based on moisture (9.09%-11.23%), total phenols (31.62-62.71 mg EAG/g), flavonoids (23.02-40.02 ER/mg), carotenoids (66.12-155.05 μg/g), picrocrocin (88.99-121.53), crocin (137.44-228.39) safranal (26.56-53.04). radical scavenging activity ranged 17.09% 29.53% DPPH assay, oscillated 0.128 mmol AAE/g 0.239 ABTS test, while ferric reducing potency (FRAP) varied 0.974 1.989 Fe2+/g. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified 66 Safranal Isophorone most abondant. ES1 Taliouine recorded very distinct compared others with 22 authentic compounds. Moreover, liquid chromatography- mass (LC-MS) 14 compounds found be major principal component classified investigated into two mean distinctive sets ES9 distinguished as single items. α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, anethole, acetic acid, ketoisophorone, isophorone, safranal, thymoquinone, flavonoids, FRAP carotenoids, are main discriminant variables. two-dimensional clustered heatmaps divided showed relatively similar patterns (PCA) confirmed singularity sample particular profile dominated mainly by α-terpinyl acetate, methyleugenol, copaene, methyl-cyclopentane, not in other even at minor levels. These findings herein high quality Moroccan saffron, important species breeding valorization.